SCILT > News View > Applies To

Bilingual Learners - Postgraduate Diploma

27 November 2023 (University of Edinburgh)

This specialist pathway is designed for teachers who are currently teaching bilingual or multilingual children in contemporary classrooms.

The University of Edinburgh is the only provider in Scotland of a Postgraduate Diploma in this area. Local authorities in Scotland regard this specialist Postgraduate Diploma as a benchmark for practitioners specialising in working with learners who have English as an Additional Language (EAL).

Visit the university website for more information about the programme and to apply.

Diplomats urge Aberdeen University to halt proposed cuts

27 November 2023 (The Herald)

The French, German, Spanish and Italian consulates in Scotland have written to the University of Aberdeen urging the institution not to proceed with proposed cuts to modern language degree courses.

A joint letter was sent ahead of the expected publication of plans this week which will outline the future of language courses at the university.

It is the second time in weeks that figures from European Union countries have intervened in the situation regarding the take up of languages in Scottish education.

Last week The Herald on Sunday revealed that the German Ambassador to the UK Miguel Berger raised his fears with the First Minister at the dramatic drop in pupils learning French and German in schools during a face to face meeting at Bute House at the end of October.

Responding to the article, the Scottish Government underlined its commitment to modern language teaching in schools.

According to a BBC report today it is understood the withdrawal of honours degrees courses at the University of Aberdeen is an option being considered with the university saying it had seen falling demand for language degrees.

Scots language: Should the ‘mither tongue’ be promoted and protected?

25 November 2023 (The Courier)

It is the language that Courier columnist and Scots language expert Alistair Heather once described as the “partially submerged language of a partially submerged nation”.

Scots, known as the “mither tongue” is spoken by over 1.5 million people in Scotland, principally in the lowlands and northern isles.

It’s been the language used by government, kings and courts in Scotland, as well as by poets and playwrights like Rabbie Burns and Rona Munro.

Yet in the latter half of the 20th century, Scots began to be seen as vulgar, or common, and has been denigrated as ‘slang’ or ‘ned speak’.

Aberdeen Postcard Campaign

20 November 2023 (University Council for Languages)

In the context of threats to Modern Languages degrees at the University of Aberdeen, an online postcard campaign has been launched.

The University of Aberdeen is facing a sudden major financial deficit, in the context of which it has announced that it intends to make ‘drastic changes’ to LLMVC (School of Language, Literature, Music and Visual Culture), with a particular focus on Modern Languages. It has been indicated so far that the University will be committed to languages learning but is not necessarily aspiring to maintaining languages degrees (in French, Gaelic, German and Spanish).

Please support the Postcard Campaign to showcase to Senior Management at the University of Aberdeen all the reasons why an ancient university with an international outlook should keep language degrees.

Visit the University Council for Languages website to see how you can take part and disseminate.

SQA marker opportunities 2024

20 November 2023 (SQA)

Every year SQA recruits approximately 11,000 teachers and lecturers as markers for the National Qualifications exam diet. Recruitment for the 2024 exams is currently underway, with opportunities available across all subjects and levels including languages.

SQA markers play a key role in supporting the exam diet, ensuring the consistent application of national standards. They gain valuable insight into SQA processes, procedures and national standards for a subject and level. It provides the opportunity to develop skills and knowledge, as well as allowing you to gather evidence for continuing professional development.

You can apply to be a marker if you are currently teaching the subject(s) you wish to mark and have been doing so for a minimum of two years. Full training will be provided.

To find out more about the marker role or apply, please visit the SQA website.

Japanese taster sessions for senior phase students

20 November 2023 (University of Glasgow)

Taster sessions in Japanese for senior phase students offered by the MFL unit, School of Modern Languages and Cultures, University of Glasgow.

We are looking for schools which would be interested in our taster sessions in Japanese; we can deliver them on their own premises on Fridays in January and February 2024 (exact dates TBC). Our tutors will deliver one-hour sessions focusing on some basic aspects of the language and on cultural elements such as, for instance, traditional food, manga and anime. Some information about options in terms of learning Japanese at the University of Glasgow will also be provided. Please contact: Emanuela.Ponti@glasgow.ac.uk

Posted in: Senior Phase, Scotland, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations, Japanese

Ambassador raises alarm with FM over fall in pupils taking German

19 November 2023 (The Herald)

A senior European diplomat has urged the First Minister to help reverse the trend in the falling number of pupils in Scotland studying German and other languages.

The German Ambassador to the UK Miguel Berger raised his concerns with Humza Yousaf about the matter when he met him at Bute House in Edinburgh.

(Note - subscription required to access full article)

Certificate of Continued Education (CCEd) in Mandarin

17 November 2023 (SCILT/CISS)

SCILT is currently in the planning stages with the faculty of Humanities and Social Science (HaSS) at the University of Strathclyde and partners in China to develop a Certificate of Continued Education (CCEd) in Mandarin. It is envisaged that the online, live-streamed course will be aimed at GTCS registered teachers of languages who would like to add Mandarin to the repertoire of languages they are qualified to teach. The course will be delivered over three years offering a full 120 credits, plus a summer school in China that will count towards the GTCS residency requirement. We are considering ways to make funding available for teachers in state schools in Scotland to help meet the costs of fees and to contribute to the cost of their salaries once they are fully qualified and teaching the language to National Qualification level. We are hopeful that the first cohort of this new CCEd course will start their studies in September 2024.

If you think this might be of interest to you, in order to help us plan and ascertain the potential appetite for such a scheme, we would be grateful if you could fill out this form or scan the QR code below to register your interest by Friday 1 December 2023.

QR code to register interest in Certificate of Continued Education in Mandarin

Posted in: Chinese, Scotland, Language Learning, Language Teaching, National Qualifications, Strathclyde University, SCILT news, CISS news

SQA Advanced Higher Modern Languages updates

30 October 2023 (SQA)

Visiting assessment (performance talking) guidance and STL forms have been published on the SQA's Advanced Higher Modern Languages webpage. These can be found in the Visiting Examining dropdown section.

Scottish Languages Employability Award - next deadline approaching!

26 October 2023 (SCILT)

The Scottish Languages Employability Award (SLEA) celebrates schools delivering DYW through languages and school-business partnerships whilst recognising good practice in this area. The award, which is available at bronze, silver and gold levels, supports teachers in raising awareness of the value of language skills in their school community.

The next deadline for submissions is Friday 17 November 2023.

Visit the SLEA webpage for more information.

Tes Scotland’s 10 questions with... Gillian Campbell-Thow

13 October 2023 (TES)

Gillian Campbell-Thow took over as secondary headteacher at Sgoil Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu (Glasgow Gaelic School) earlier this year.

A languages teacher by background, she tells us about broadening approaches to Gaelic-medium education (GME), the need to stay calm during pupils’ crises and how the culture around teaching has changed during her time in the profession.

(Note - subscription required to access full article)

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Language Teaching, Languages in the press

RZSS Programmes for Schools

12 October 2023 (RZSS)

RZSS Science in the Language Class - Many free language resources are available on the Science in Language Class website. There are a wide range of resources for Mandarin, Spanish and French along with free outreach sessions. Next year look out for further resources available in German and Gaelic and a new upper primary course for Spanish.

Mandarin course - The Mandarin upper primary course is 3 weeks virtual sessions followed by an expert for the day! (An in-person outreach visit to your school which can include other sessions for additional classes.)

Giants - A free outreach session aimed at upper primary level which can be linked to either Spanish or Mandarin.

Stripy Tails - A free outreach session aimed at upper primary level which can be linked to either French or Mandarin.

Contact srobb@rzss.org.uk for bookings. All are fully booked to December but there are still a few opportunities left from January 2024.

See the Beyond the Panda webpage for details and resources.

BSL: Signs of success for all to see as Dingwall Academy takes lead in tackling interpreter crisis

11 October 2023 (Press and Journal)

Dingwall Academy is leading the way in addressing an interpreter crisis by producing the next generation of British Sign Language (BSL) experts.

The Highland school has been at the forefront of deaf education for more than 30 years. As well as having additional resources for deaf pupils, the school is specially soundproofed.

And now it’s offering SQA qualifications in BSL up to the equivalent of Higher.

Which is timely, given the Scottish Government has now recognised the “ongoing issues surrounding the shortages” of BSL interpreters.

Posted in: Scotland, Interpreting, Language Learning, Languages in the press, BSL

SLEA - Local

6 October 2023 (SCILT)

The SLEA (Scottish Languages Employability Award) family is expanding! We have now launched the SLEA – Local, which aims to encourage and support the development of partnership activities involving a number of schools within a local area or network. The SLEA – Local recognises and rewards employability-focused partnerships organised at a wider local level by teachers, DYW officers or cluster leads.

For more information and details of how to apply, as well as the chance to read about our very first winners from Ayshire Chamber of Commerce and surrounding schools, visit the SLEA – Local webpage.

To find out more about how this fits in with the SLEA family, see the main SLEA award webpage.

And watch this space for the next family member, coming in 2024; the SLEA – Green!

eSgoil study support 2023-24

5 October 2023 (eSgoil)

Registration for eSgoil's Study Support programme is now open!

Study Support is for Senior Phase learners who are working towards National Qualifications, with weekly evening webinars during term time covering a wide range of subjects and levels, including Gaelic, French and Spanish.

Visit the eSgoil website for full programme details and to register. Programme commences week beginning 30 October.

French courses in Glasgow for adults and children

3 October 2023 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow is now enrolling for autumn term courses. There are options available for children and adults. Follow the relevant link below for more information and to enrol.

French courses for children and teens
French courses for adults (online assessment available to establish your level)
Rugby Workshop - 13 October 2023, 1.30 - 3.00pm - if you love the sport and want to develop your rugby vocab this is the event for you! (booking charge applies)

The organisation provides many other opportunities and events to discover French language and culture. Visit their website to find out more.

Japanese Taster Course

2 October 2023 (eSgoil)

The beginner Japanese course run by University of Edinburgh in conjunction with eSgoil is aimed at pupils S1-S6 who would like an introduction to basic Japanese language and culture. No previous knowledge of Japanese language is required.

The six-part course runs from November to December 2023.

Visit the website for more information and to register interest.

MTOT registration deadline approaching!

28 September 2023 (SCILT)

Schools in Scotland wishing to take part in this year's Mother Tongue Other Tongue multilingual poetry competition have until National Poetry Day on 5 October to register!

Visit our website to learn more about the competition and discover poetry resources to help you celebrate National Poetry Day in class as well as prepare for the MTOT competition.

It's the 10th anniversary year of MTOT in Scotland, so join in the celebration - visit our website and register your school now!

Invite a team of Strathclyde Language Ambassadors to your school!

28 September 2023 (University of Strathclyde)

At the University of Strathclyde, beyond supporting the Language Ambassadors Online and the Language Explorers Programme, we are still offering on-site visits in 2023-24.

So, get your learners to discover the joys of discovering a new culture and learning and being able to use another language by organising a visit from one of our Language Ambassadors teams to your school!

Our Language Ambassadors are students of French, Italian, Mandarin or Spanish, on various degrees, including BA Honours in French and Spanish, International Business and a Modern Language, Law and a Language but also Engineering and Science degrees and they are keen to share their experiences of learning and using their languages as well as discovering new cultures.

This programme is free of charge and provides student role models to promote languages to young people in your school. We aim to encourage your learners to engage with young adults who have decided to study languages at university and to have a positive impact on the number of learners who choose languages as part of their high school curriculum.

We can deliver a range of activities, such as:

A presentation about their experiences as university language learners and their experiences abroad;
Q&A sessions about the benefits of studying a language;
A small group discussion for Senior phase students who have already selected a language;
Micro-presentations as part of a school-wide event

Want to book a visit from a Language Ambassadors team in 2023-24? Simply contact Cédric Moreau now!

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, Chinese, French, Italian, Spanish, Scotland, Language Ambassadors, Language Learning, Partnership Working, Promoting Languages, Strathclyde University, News from language & education organisations

Language Ambassadors Online: new sessions available to book!

28 September 2023 (SCILT)

SCILT’s Language Ambassadors Programme has relaunched as a fully online offer available to all schools across the country. Our interactive monthly online sessions are led by student Language Ambassadors from universities across Scotland who are keen to share their experiences of learning languages and discovering new cultures.

Visit our Language Ambassadors Programme webpage to find out more about the programme and to register to bring your class(es) along to any/all of the sessions listed!

Virtual Spanish and Latin American Film Festival - University of Stirling / Pragda

21 September 2023 (University of Stirling)

Spanish and Latin American Studies at the University of Stirling are hosting a Spanish and Latin American Film Festival as part of the Spanish Film Club series, made possible with the support of Pragda, SPAIN Arts & Culture, and the Secretary of State for Culture of Spain.

This term, we are screening two films:

Carajita available Friday 6^th to Friday 13^th October 2023

Niñas araña available Wednesday 8^th to Wednesday 15^th November 2023

If you would like your learners to access one or both of these virtual film screenings, please register via this form to receive the sign-in information for the screening room and the associated discussion guides.

If you have any questions or would like further information about this initiative, please contact Fiona Noble (fiona.noble@stir.ac.uk).

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

Maths Week Scotland 2023 - Maths wi nae borders

15 September 2023 (Maths Week Scotland)

Inspired by the annual Mathématiques sans Frontières contest, this mini-competition includes a language element and is for any class to complete together.

The Maths wi nae borders challenge launches on 18 September 2023. Entries should be submitted by 23 October.

Visit the Maths Week Scotland website for more information.

Scottish Gaelic is worth learning says our Scotsman readers and here are 21 reasons why

12 September 2023 (The Scotsman)

Scotland’s endangered Celtic tongue has struggled against critics discounting its worth time and again. So, we took the national debate to our Scotsman readers who confirm that Gaelic is worth learning and here’s why.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press

DYW Live – Languages and your career is back!

12 September 2023 (SCILT)

We are delighted to be back again this year working together with e-Sgoil and DYW Live to deliver the Languages and Your Career webinar. In this session we will explore how languages can contribute to success in a wide range of jobs and career paths. This webinar aims to introduce secondary learners to the importance of languages and their associated skills in the workplace, break down stereotypes of careers that use languages, identify appropriate career pathways, and hear examples of people who use languages in their daily work. It will be an interactive session with input from people who use languages in their work.

The workshop will repeated each month on different days and times from September until January. The dates on offer are:

Tuesday 26th September: 2.00 – 3.00pm
Wednesday 25th October: 9.30 – 10.30am
Thursday 23rd November: 11.00am – 12.00pm
Monday 18th December: 9.30 – 10.30am
Tuesday 30th January: 2.00 – 3.00pm

All sessions will take place in Glow Teams.

This year, additional materials will be made available to teachers who attend the workshop with their classes to support further promotion of employability with individual languages. Watch this space!

For more information and registration details, visit the e-Sgoil website.

SNP grassroots demand more language teaching provision in schools

9 September 2023 (The Herald)

Ministers are facing a demand from the SNP grassroots to improve language teaching provision in Scottish schools after falling Higher entries for French and German.

A motion on the draft agenda to the party's conference raises concerns over the teaching in European languages for senior pupils at secondary school.

It underlines the importance of language learning as a life skill "particularly if we are striving for membership of the EU post-independence" and calls for native speakers to be recruited as language assistants to help secondary school students gain qualifications.

A total of 4,239 pupils sat French Higher in 2013 with the number falling to 2280 this year, according to the Scottish Qualifications Authority's statistics. In 2013 a total of 1051 entered German Higher compared to 520 this year.

The figures also showed an increasing trend towards pupils taking Spanish, with 1,645 Higher entries in the subject in 2013 rising to 2605 this year (overtaking French).

However, Scotland is considerably lagging behind the Republic of Ireland which has made language teaching a central part of its successful economic strategy with GDP growing by 12% in 2022, compared to 4% for the UK's.

(Note, subscription may be required to access full article)

Welcoming Languages: teaching a ‘refugee language’ to school staff to enact the principle of integration as a two-way process

5 September 2023 (University of Glasgow)

This recently published article discusses the outcomes of the Welcoming Languages project, collaboratively run by the University of Glasgow and the Arabic Center of the Islamic University of Gaza (Palestine). The project taught Arabic as a ‘refugee language’ to primary school staff so they could welcome Arabic speaking children and families.

The article can now be read open access on the publisher's website.

Scottish Gaelic and Scots Difference Explained: Scotland’s oldest living language revealed

4 September 2023 (The Scotsman)

English has been Scotland’s main language since the 18th century, prior to that many people spoke ‘Scottish’ whether that was Scots or Gaelic [..] here is an overview of Scots and Scottish Gaelic that explains their differences, the heritage that underpins them and which is considered Scotland’s oldest living language.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press, Scots

SQA Advanced Higher Modern Languages updates

4 September 2023 (SQA)

Updates have been added to the SQA Advanced Higher Modern Languages webpage.

New specimen question papers can be found in the Past Papers and Marking Instructions section and an assessment resources summary in the Course Support section.

SQA Advanced Higher Modern Languages: new resources to support with performance-talking

1 September 2023 (SQA)

From session 2023-24, the Advanced Higher Modern Languages performance-talking coursework task returns to its usual format, with a duration of approximately 20 minutes. The requirement to discuss aspects of the portfolio has also been reinstated.

We have created two new SQA Academy courses to help you with this coursework task. An updated performance-talking audio presentation is also available from our Understanding Standards website.

SQA Academy course – Performance-talking

This course provides an overview of what the Advanced Higher performance-talking assessment involves – including its purpose, structure, preparation for the assessment, the Subject Topic List (STL) form and how performance-talking is assessed.

SQA Academy course – A day in the life of a visiting assessor

This second course outlines the role of the Modern Languages performance-talking visiting assessor and describes what happens before, during and after the assessment of performance-talking. You may find it useful to share this course with your learners.

Access the courses from the SQA Academy website

SQA Understanding Standards – updated audio presentation

An updated audio presentation on the Advanced Higher performance-talking for session 2023-24 is also available from the Modern Languages pages of the Understanding Standards website (select the language, then ‘presentations’ from the page menu).

View the performance-talking audio presentation.

Posted in: Senior Phase, Chinese, French, Gaelic, German, Italian, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, National Qualifications, News from language & education organisations, SQA

Language Cafés

31 August 2023 (SCILT)

Are you a Secondary PGDE student, NQT or ECT of Languages? Would you like the chance to network informally with others in the same boat across the country to share ideas and strategies, and even to chat in other languages from time to time? Then come along to our new monthly drop-in sessions! These will take place online on the last Thursday of each month, starting in September.

Dates are as follows:

Thursday 28 September 4.30 – 5.30pm
Thursday 26 October 4.30 – 5.30pm
Thursday 30 November 4.30 – 5.30pm
Thursday 25 January 4.30 – 5.30pm
Thursday 29 February 4.30 – 5.30pm
Thursday 28 March 4.30 – 5.30pm
Thursday 25 April 4.30 – 5.30pm
Thursday 30 May 4.30 – 5.30pm

These sessions will take place on Corporate Teams. Visit our Eventbrite page to book; see you there!

Posted in: All Languages, Scotland, Careers, CPD, Language Teaching, Teacher Education

Language Ambassadors Programme - European Day of Languages launch

31 August 2023 (SCILT)

SCILT’s Language Ambassadors Programme is relaunching this year! We will be offering interactive monthly online sessions led by student Language Ambassadors from universities across Scotland. These sessions are designed to promote languages to young people and to encourage learners to choose languages as part of their learning experience by hearing directly from near-peer role models. Our Language Ambassadors are students of various languages on a range of degree programmes who are keen to share their experiences of learning languages and discovering new cultures.

The first session will take place on European Day of Languages itself, Tuesday 26 September 11.00 – 11.45. The session will take place on Microsoft Teams. For more information and to book to bring your class(es) along, visit our Eventbrite booking page.

Please note: Some universities will also able to offer in-person Language Ambassador visits to individual schools throughout the year. These allow the opportunity for language students to deliver presentations, participate in discussions and support events in schools. These are arranged directly between schools and universities. A list of university contacts is coming soon to our website – watch this space!

Posted in: Scotland, Language Ambassadors, Language Learning, Promoting Languages, SCILT news

French Film Festival free learning programme for schools

31 August 2023 (French Film Festival)

The French Film Festival UK Learning Programme is once again delighted to bring French-speaking cinema free of charge to schools this November and December! All the films in the selection are in French with English subtitles.

Each of the four films will be accompanied by new learning packs in French and English.

Download the programme and start planning your screenings now!

FFF 2023 In-School Learning Programme

Student Film Review Awards

The Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland will once again award prizes for the best film reviews submitted by students in Scotland.

The Learning Programme is grateful for the generous support of the Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland, TotalEnergies, the Institut français worldwide network, the Hugh Fraser Foundation, and SCILT (Scotland’s National Centre for Languages).

More information about the Festival can be found on the French Film Festival website.

University of Edinburgh Centre for Open Learning courses

29 August 2023 (University of Edinburgh)

Languages for All, at the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Open Learning (COL), will launch two new Short Courses in General English and Ukrainian this October. These courses will complement the existing range of Short Courses in languages including Arabic, British Sign Language, French, Gaelic, German, Italian, Japanese, Modern Greek, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swahili and Turkish.

Languages for All have also expanded the University-Wide Language Programme for Undergraduate and Postgraduate students at the University of Edinburgh, offering credit courses in British Sign Language, Gaelic, Swahili and Ukrainian.

Visit our new Languages for All website to view our full offering.

Concours de la Francophonie 2024

29 August 2023 (Institut français)

Le Concours de la Francophonie 2024 is now open!

The national school competition's aim is to encourage all young French learners and their teachers around Scotland to enjoy the French language. It has always been a great way of celebrating the international day of la francophonie. In 2023, over 500 pupils from 25 schools all over Scotland took part in the competition.

All Scottish primary and secondary schools offering French may enter this competition by submitting a short video of a classroom activity in French.

The theme of the competition this year is: “Paris Olympic Games 2024: Ouvrons grand les jeux!”

Visit the Institut français website for full details and entry criteria. Submission deadline is 31 January 2024.

Our World 2023-24

22 August 2023 (SEET)

Registration for the SEET’s Our World project 2023-24 is now open and totally free to enter! Just fill in this quick form to sign up your school: https://ourworldproject.wufoo.com/forms/z1fa1wdl0fdqs2a/

Our World is a language learning and global citizenship-based filmmaking project for S1 - S6 pupils. It's designed to complement the Curriculum for Excellence and help tackle the Attainment Challenge by providing a free project which uses an interdisciplinary approach to encourage pupils to become more engaged in their language learning.

Teams of 4 (S1 - S6) design a storyboard which outlines the film they propose to make. This year's films must include the use of a language other than English and should touch on the theme of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Each team must choose at least one of the 17 SDGs to focus their film on.

SEET supports teachers and pupils throughout the whole process, starting with our introductory CLPL session for teachers on Tuesday 12 September 2023.

Visit the SEET website for more information and register to take part.

Mother Tongue Other Tongue 2024 - 10 year anniversary!

18 August 2023 (SCILT)

SCILT is delighted to announce that MTOT is back for 2024, and it’s an extra special year - MTOT celebrates its 10^th anniversary!

Over the last decade the competition has evolved from written poems in the beginning, to now focussing on the spoken word. Hearing pupils share their voices and language skills helps bring their poetry to life, and we look forward to seeing what creative brilliance emerges from Scotland’s schools this year. In this 10th anniversary year, we are delighted and very excited to work with our partners at Instituto Cervantes to offer a special prize category for entries in Spanish, one of the most widely taught languages in Scotland’s schools.

So, if you have entered MTOT before, we’d love to welcome you back. If you are new to MTOT, what better year to join than our 10^th anniversary year? Our multilingual poetry competition is now open. Visit our MTOT page on the SCILT website for more information and register your school now.

MTOT is 10 years old – come join the celebration!

Workshops for student and early career teachers

18 August 2023 (SCILT)

NEW for 2023-24! Building on our track record of supporting student teachers and early career teachers, this year we have launched a specific menu of workshops tailored to the needs of student teachers and early career teachers in primary and secondary sectors. Importantly, the development of this menu was informed by student teachers, probationer mentors and teacher educators.

Are you a probationer/ECT support manager or professional learning officer for your local authority?

Are you a programme lead or module lead on an undergraduate or postgraduate ITE programme for primary or secondary teaching at a Scottish university?

Yes? Then workshops from the brand new SCILT ECT Professional Learning menu 2023-24 could complement the content of your existing modules or professional learning programme for the newest entrants to our profession.

Interactive, up-to-date and relevant, these SCILT workshops give student teachers and early career teachers the opportunity to explore aspects of practice with their peers. Online or in person. No charge.

In terms of content, secondary workshops focus on developing practice to support skills development, classroom management and support for application and interview for languages posts. Meanwhile, primary workshops focus on introductory approaches and interdisciplinary contexts for teaching languages eg digital, outdoor, DYW and intercultural understanding.

See the full menu and the booking request form.

Remember, if there is anything particular that your student or early career teachers need, we are always happy to develop bespoke inputs too. Email scilt@strath.ac.uk with any queries.

PS - Also coming soon, sector specific professional learning for student and early career teachers available to book by individuals. Schedules for our new language cafés, themed asynchronous and drop-in style get togethers will also be published very soon.

Posted in: Scotland, Careers, CPD, Language Teaching, Teacher Education, SCILT news

SCILT CLPL workshop menu 2023-24

17 August 2023 (SCILT)

SCILT’s brand new CLPL workshop menu for 2023-24 is available for your booking requests.

Are you responsible for sourcing high quality professional learning related to languages pedagogy for groups of colleagues in your setting, cluster, local authority or RIC?

You will be interested in our new professional learning offer for all sectors.

The content of the eleven workshops is informed by feedback from teachers and practitioners on their professional learning needs. If your needs are different, we are more than happy to develop the bespoke inputs you and your colleagues require. Just ask.

Always interactive and up-to-date, SCILT workshops provide the opportunity for you and your colleagues to explore aspects of practice with our experienced Professional Development Officers. Our team has a finite capacity, so get in your request as soon as you can.

The focus of workshops for 2023-24 are wide ranging, covering the following issues:

Cross Sector

Primary-Secondary Transition

Primary and Early Years

Families on board? Developing a family friendly approach to languages in your setting
Getting outdoors with languages and learning
Celebrating cultural diversity through languages in EY and primary
An introduction to multilingual approaches to primary pedagogy
Languages in primary: assessing pupils’ learning, evaluating teaching

Secondary

Policy, planning and practice in BGE (in partnership with Education Scotland)
Emerging contexts for language learning
Talking and listening
Using language skills across the curriculum
Social-Emotional Learning for languages

For more details, and to make a request for a group visit our Professional Learning webpage.

Note that open access online workshops will also be scheduled across the year. Registration for these will be open to individuals and details will be shared in the SCILT ebulletin in due course.

French courses in Glasgow for adults and children

15 August 2023 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow is now taking enrolments for French courses commencing in September 2023.

Visit the website for further information and to enrol. If you're unsure of your level you can also take a free online test to assess which class would be most suitable or you can head along to the Open Day on Saturday 2 September from 10:00am until 1:30pm.

Oh là là - concerns over uptake of languages Highers

10 August 2023 (TES)

New Scottish national data shows a drop in uptake of languages at Higher since 2019, the last year before the Covid pandemic.

The decrease in French entries is particularly steep and, after many years as the most popular language in Scottish schools, uptake is now lower than for Spanish.

However, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages (widely known as SCILT) says there is better news in National 5 figures, which suggest there may be the beginnings of a comeback from the Covid years.

(Note - subscription required to access full article)

Goethe-Institut: German for schools

8 August 2023 (Goethe-Institut)

The Goethe-Institut in Glasgow are offering the following opportunities for schools in the 2023-24 academic session. Follow the relevant link to find out more:

German days for pupils - visit the Goethe-Institut Glasgow with your school class. Your pupils will learn firsthand about German language and culture. We offer various activities designed to show that learning German can be fun and is relevant.
German Language Adventure - this fast-paced motivational game aims to spark interest in German culture and language and can be played by up to 100 pupils (P7-S2 level). Can be offered at school or at the Goethe-Institut.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, German, Scotland, Language Learning, Promoting Languages, News from language & education organisations

New Edinburgh University degree to address decline in BSL teachers

5 August 2023 (The Herald)

The University of Edinburgh is to create a new undergraduate degree in Primary Education with British Sign Language (BSL) to help tackle a decline in the number of qualified teachers of deaf children.

Research for/by the National Deaf Children’s Society shows that the number of Teachers of the Deaf (TOD) in Scotland has decreased by 40% in the past decade, with 45% of remaining teachers expected to retire over the next 10 years. In addition, statistics from the Consortium for Research Into Deaf Education found that almost 40% of councils in Scotland did not involve a ToD in the three statutory early years checks. These are regular reviews that assess young children on their development in numerous areas, such as, their hearing, which is where the expertise of a ToD would be crucial for a Deaf child.

Alison Hendry, the former BSL Development Officer at the University of Edinburgh praised the announcement of the new degree. She said: “I think it is a really positive development because by having the degree, it will allow Deaf people to become Teachers of the Deaf and provide positive role models for young Deaf people coming through the system.”

Posted in: Primary, Scotland, Language Teaching, Languages in the press, BSL

Scotland’s Gaelic Landscape: Do you know how to read a Scottish map? 21 Gaelic terms for beginners

20 July 2023 (The Scotsman)

Spoken only by a small percentage of Scots today, Gaelic was once Scotland’s main language which is why it is intrinsically linked to the Scottish landscape where we see Gaelic place names that connect us to our heritage.

Here is an essential guide for beginners to get you acquainted with Scotland’s most-used Gaelic vocabulary and test your knowledge at the end with the wee quiz!

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press

Scots Language Awards launch search for leid's 'heroes'

18 July 2023 (The National)

Nominations have opened for the 2023 Scots Language Awards, giving the public a chance to commend their personal Scots language heroes.

The awards ceremony will take place at Johnstone Town Hall, in partnership with Paisley.is, on Saturday, September 16, showcasing the best of Scots language and culture.

[..] The awards, which began in 2019, celebrate the importance of Scots language within arts and culture but also in daily life, education, and business. Nominations will close on Sunday 30 July.

Posted in: Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Languages in the press, Scots

Rural schools disproportionately affected by lack of language teachers

17 July 2023 (The Herald)

Rural schools are being disproportionately affected by falling numbers of language teachers.

According to the recent Scottish Teacher census, there have been huge drops in the number of English, French, German and Italian teachers since 2010.

Analysis by the Scottish Conservatives found that rural schools account for 58.9% of all losses.

The learning of at least one language is compulsory until the third year of secondary school, and there is growing evidence that they boost brain power and improve performance in other academic areas.

Nationally, English teacher numbers have declined by 141, from 2,788 in 2010 to 2,647, with rural schools losing 153.

In French, 319 teachers were lost, declining from 947 to 628, and 135 affecting local authorities in remote areas.

German teachers declined by 83, from 166 in 2010, across Scotland, 34 of which came from rural schools.

Meanwhile, Italian teachers declined from 10 in 2010 to seven in 2022. There are currently no rural schools with an Italian teacher.

Deaf councillor hails move for British Sign Language option in South Lanarkshire high schools

10 July 2023 (Daily Record)

Calderside Academy in Blantyre will pilot British Sign Language as a language option this August when the schools return from their summer break.

Posted in: Scotland, Curriculum, Language Learning, Languages in the press, BSL

Clydebank school pupils praised after landing top award

6 July 2023 (Clydebank Post)

A Clydebank school was said to have 'impressed judges' on their way to picking up a top educational award for languages.

Pupils across three age groups at St Peter the Apostle High School were praised for their 'passion' for languages such as Gaelic and Spanish as they landed the Gold Scottish Languages Employability Award from SCILT - Gold Scottish Languages Employability Award from SCILT, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages and the Confucius Institute for Scotland’s Schools.

The recognition award - launched in 2019 - was developed by SCILT as a way of delivering DYW (Developing the Young Workforce) through languages, encouraging school-business partnerships and recognising good practice in this area.

Scottish Gaelic Edinburgh Place Names: 13 Locations in the capital city rooted in Gaelic

30 June 2023 (The Scotsman)

While the origins of Gaelic are rooted in the Highlands and Islands, the language forms a major part of Scottish heritage and has found its place even in lowland areas like Edinburgh.

[..] Here are 13 place names connected to Scottish Gaelic according to Gaelic Place-Names of Scotland.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press

Glasgow school's mission to help families break down language barriers

21 June 2023 (Glasgow Times)

A Glasgow secondary school where 35 different languages are spoken by pupils and their families held a successful pilot for a new Saturday morning club.

Rosshall Academy on the Southside of the city offered parents an ESOL (English as a Second or Other Language) workshop as part of Refugee Festival Scotland Week.

MTOT 2022-23 and Voices of Hope

16 June 2023 (SCILT)

Finalists' work from this year's MTOT competition can now be viewed on the SCILT website.

As part of our Mother Tongue Other Tongue poetry competition, SCILT received several entries from young Ukrainian refugees displaced by the war in Ukraine. We wanted the world to be able to access these wonderfully creative and emotive pieces of writing. Our Voices of Hope online exhibition, in partnership with AUGB, will be launched on 21 June as part of Refugee Week Scotland 2023 and will be available on SCILT's website following the launch event.

Coming soon! CCEd in French @ University of Strathclyde

16 June 2023 (University of Strathclyde)

Are you interested in upskilling your French to GTCS-accredited standard? Then this could be the course for you! The University of Strathclyde currently offers a three-year Certificate of Continuing Education (CCEd) qualification in Italian and in Spanish and plans to offer it in French from session 2023-24.

The CCEd is an intensive beginners’ class that will bring you up to first-year university standard in a year, with the option of continuing your studies into second year and up to university pass degree level within three years.

Classes will be in person on campus in Glasgow during term time on Tuesday evenings.

Further information and application details will be advertised soon via the SCILT bulletin/website and the University of Strathclyde website and communication channels.

For more information and to register your interest, the course contact is Joan-Emilie Lefever-Rhodes (joan.lefever@strath.ac.uk).

Posted in: HE, French, Scotland, CPD, Language Learning, Strathclyde University, Teacher Education, News from language & education organisations

Scotland China Education Network - Administrative and Communications Officer

15 June 2023 (SCEN)

The Scotland China Education Network (SCEN) is seeking a part-time Administrative and Communications Officer to provide general administrative support for the Chair of SCEN, the Trustees as required, and in co-ordinating the work and various meetings of SCEN. They will also be responsible for the management and upkeep of the SCEN website, e-newsletters, and its social media accounts.

Full details can be found in the attached job advert and job description below.

CVs and Cover Letters are to be submitted to SCEN@ct.me by Monday 3 July at 4pm.

Related Files

Posted in: Chinese, Scotland, News from language & education organisations

Calling teachers of Italian in Scotland!

15 June 2023 (SCILT)

Dr Paul Hare, Professional Development Officer at SCILT and Senior Teaching Fellow in Italian at the University of Strathclyde, is in the early stages of designing a project to bring together teachers of Italian in Scotland - practising, dormant and newly qualified. The vision is to create a community, to make teachers of Italian feel more connected, and to facilitate the sharing of ideas and resources, which will hopefully, in turn, enable Italian to grow in Scottish schools. If you are a teacher of Italian in a school in Scotland (either currently teaching it or keen to introduce it) and interested in receiving more information in the months ahead, please send Paul an email (paul.hare@strath.ac.uk) and he’ll add you to the database.

Posted in: Italian, Scotland, Language Teaching, SCILT news

Online team-teaching model - A sustainable approach to support language delivery in the primary

13 June 2023 (South West EIC / Northern Alliance)

This pilot delivered French, Spanish and Gaelic live lessons using Microsoft Teams in Glow and was offered to schools across Scotland between January and May 2023.

You can now find out about the far-reaching impact of this initiative by reading the case study attached below.

Related Files

Online team-teaching - A sustainable approach to teaching languages (1.45 MB)

Posted in: Primary, French, Gaelic, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Teacher Education, News from language & education organisations

CISS Newsletter - Summer 2023

13 June 2023 (CISS)

The latest edition of the CISS newsletter has been published. Read about the many activities and initiatives going on across the Confucius Classroom Hub Network and CISS’s work to support the learning and teaching of Mandarin, including competitions, online learning and events.

Scottish Education Awards 2023 - Gaelic Education

8 June 2023 (Scottish Education Awards)

Congratulations to James Gillespie's High School, winners of the Gaelic Education Award at this year's Scottish Education Awards held on 7 June.

Well done too to Goodlyburn Primary and Dunoon Grammar for making the final shortlist.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, News from language & education organisations

Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival - Free Online School programme - October 2023

6 June 2023 (ESFF)

The Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival will celebrate ten years of Spanish cinema in schools this October.

During the week 2 - 6 October, classrooms across the UK can have online access to three films:

Los Futbolísimos (The Footballest)
Rara (Weird)
CartasVivas (Living Letters) *For S5-S6 only*

Each film will be accompanied by worksheets so that the students can delve deeper into the themes discussed, once the film has been watched.

Visit the ESFF website to book tickets and receive the access code.

Summer classes and workshops at Alliance Française Glasgow

6 June 2023 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow is now enrolling for adult classes and workshops for both adults and children taking place this summer.

Follow the relevant link below for more information and to enrol:

Summer adult classes - classes for complete beginner to advanced, commencing 19 June 2023.
Summer workshops - topic-based workshops for adults to improve their French; fun workshops for primary aged children.

Posted in: French, Scotland, Language Learning - Adults, Language Learning - Primary, News from language & education organisations

Young Scots Writer o the Year Award 2023

6 June 2023 (Scottish Book Trust)

Scottish Book Trust, together with Hands Up for Trad, Scots Hoose, Education Scotland and Scottish Government, are running a competition to find Scotland’s ‘Young Scots writer of the Year’.

Stories, poems, spoken word pieces, comics, videos or other pieces of writing – we want to see it all, as long as it's in Scots and under 2500 words or up to ten minutes.

The competition is open to 11-18 year-olds, and entries should be submitted by midday on Wednesday 21 June 2023.

Visit the Scottish Book Trust website for more information and submission guidelines.

Is Welsh the most spoken Celtic tongue? How the small UK nation punched above its weight explained

5 June 2023 (The Scotsman)

Wales has 900,600 speakers of Welsh (impressive for a nation of around three million) but of Scotland’s five and a half million roughly 60,000 alone speak Gaelic - how did this happen?

According to data published by the Welsh Government in last year’s Annual Population Survey, an estimated 29.5% of their population was able to speak Welsh i.e., 900,600. Impressively, of our Celtic heritage languages in Britain, Welsh is the only one that is not considered endangered by UNESCO.

For others like Scottish Gaelic and Irish, the census data instils less confidence. Gaelic inclusion has been fostered by the likes of Outlander and Duolingo, yet at most only 87,000 Scots have some ability in the language.

Espacios Increíbles 2022-23 - Winner announced!

5 June 2023 (SCILT)

Congratulations to St Luke’s High School, East Renfrewshire, on winning SCILT's Espacios Increíbles competition 2022-23.

The winner was announced at the final, held online on Wednesday 24 May 2023. A superb effort was made by all six finalist schools (Alva Academy, Dunblane High, Perth Academy, Prestwick Academy, St Andrew’s & St Bride’s High School as well as St Luke’s High School); competition was stiff and the judging panel had a very difficult decision to make.

The interdisciplinary competition for S2-S3 combines Spanish with art, design and technology. Pupils design an amazing space and present their work in Spanish.

St Luke’s High School came out top with their innovative design for a space for quiet reflection and relaxation in the courtyard of Santo Domingo Church in Lima, Peru. Their design was inspired by San Martín de Porres, who is the Patron Saint of Racial Equality, and is buried there.

They clearly demonstrated how they had worked collaboratively, drawing on art, design and Spanish skills to create a feasible and sustainable design which connected well to the local environment and linked to their school.

The other five finalist schools also did an amazing job, with a variety of creative designs meeting the brief for a sustainable space for health and wellbeing including a water tower providing clean drinking water, a library and coffee shop, a hot air balloon raising awareness of climate change, a cube promoting biodiversity and a health centre for the poor.

All the finalists enjoyed the final and the opportunity to present their designs to a live audience, hear from inspiring guest speakers who spoke about their work in architecture and the opportunities that learning Spanish had given them, and take part in some fun games that tested their Spanish. Congratulations to all our teams for Espacios Increíbles 2023!

Posted in: S1-S3, Spanish, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, SCILT news

Le Foot et La Francophonie 2022-23 - Winners announced!

2 June 2023 (SCILT)

Félicitations to Mearns Castle High, winners of this year’s edition of Le Foot et la Francophonie!

Following the pilot last year, Le Foot was rolled out nationally in 2022-23, engaging over forty schools, from Shetland to Stranraer, and attracting video entries from twenty-four teams across ten schools. Following a shortlisting process conducted by a panel at SCILT, the finalists invited to take part in the live event at the University of Strathclyde on Thursday 1 June came from Biggar High (two teams), Kinross High, Prestwick Academy, Kilmarnock Academy and Mearns Castle High.

As was the case during the pilot edition, Le Foot, an interdisciplinary project incorporating benchmarks, experiences and outcomes in Modern Languages, Physical Education and Health and Wellbeing, generated huge enthusiasm in the schools which integrated the project into their S2 and S3 programmes. Again, participation fired the creative imagination of the learners, some of whom had previously shown limited interest in French, while their teachers built on the legacy of the pilot project by creating and sharing a wealth of new resources covering the four key skills of reading, listening, talking and writing, focussing on the Francophone world and including strong anti-racism messages. The pupils who took part, numbering well over one thousand, were encouraged to consider the vital importance of additional languages to a broad range of careers associated with professional sports.

The six teams of pupils were joined at the final by their teachers and classmates who came along to support them. On the panel of judges were Cédric Moreau (Subject Leader for French, University of Strathclyde), Lisa Hanna (Depute Director of SCILT), Kandi Higgins (Course Leader for PGDE in Modern Languages, University of Strathclyde), Cara Lamb (Course Leader for PGDE in Physical Education, University of Strathclyde) and Mark Cunningham (graduate in Spanish and Education, and qualified football coach). After presenting their football-themed videos in French, the teams performed football drills, which included commands in French, and all pupils present were put through their paces in a range of drills designed and delivered by newly qualified PE teachers from the University’s School of Education. Those in attendance then heard a video message from former Scotland footballer John Collins, who learned French during his two-year spell at AS Monaco, before some closing remarks from Fhiona Mackay (Director of SCILT). The all important winner’s announcement saw Mearns Castle claim the trophy, together with a visit to Hampden Park, where the winning team will be given a French-focussed tour of the stadium and the Scottish Football Museum.

For more information on Le Foot et la Francophonie, including a range of football-themed resources for second and third level BGE French, see the page dedicated to the project on the SCILT website.

Jacqueline Munro-Lafon Essay Prize 2023 - Winners announced!

1 June 2023 (SCILT)

The final of this year’s Jacqueline Munro-Lafon Essay Prize took place on Tuesday 30 May. This prize, run in partnership between the Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland and SCILT, was established in 2021 in honour of Madame Jacqueline Munro-Lafon’s long and active life in the Franco-Scottish Community.

The awards ceremony was held on Zoom with opening remarks and announcement of the winner by Lord Brodie, President of the Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland. Mme Laurence Païs, Consule Générale de France and Directrice de l’Institut Français d’Écosse.

First place and runners-up spots were closely contested, with the awards ultimately going to the following:

First place

Lola Guatelli (Robert Gordon’s College)

Runners-up

Toby Reid (Harlaw Academy)
Renata Csapai (St Margaret’s Academy)

Highly commended for reaching the final six were also:

Dishan Aloysius (Holyrood Secondary School)
Maya McGowan (Bearsden Academy)
Ailie Wright (Inverkeithing High School)

Congratulations go to these finalists and to all those who took part in this competition! The standard of French was very high indeed and judging decisions came down to the finest of margins.

The 2023 awards ceremony will shortly be published on both the Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland and SCILT websites.

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, SCILT news

N5, H & AH Gaelic/Gàidhlig courses 2023/24 for schools

31 May 2023 (e-Sgoil)

E-Sgoil offers Gaelic courses designed by award-winning staff, with the language coming alive through regular, interactive, online lessons, and quality digital support materials.

The National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher courses are designed to help develop skills and knowledge rapidly, getting even those learners with no Gaelic at the start of the course to a level of confidence and fluency quickly.

Visit the website for more information and to register interest for the 2023-24 session.

SEET's Multilingual Day 2023

19 May 2023 (SEET)

It's our birthday! SEET is proud to be 30 years old this June, and we are using this as an opportunity to raise awareness for language learning in our school communities.

Here at SEET, we are fortunate to work with hundreds of schools each year across the Euroquiz and Our World projects. We would like to use this platform to bring everyone together, have fun with languages and celebrate the hard work of the thousands of young linguists we work with across the country each year.

Interested in taking part? Pupils should work together to organise a language-themed fundraiser at school between March-June. This should be an opportunity to show off creativity and have fun with languages! 50% of proceeds will be allocated to your own school fund, and 50% will be shared with our charity to further support young people with their language learning across Scotland. There will also be prizes for the most unique ideas and for the school that raises the most.

Visit SEET's dedicated web page for full details and to sign up to raise awareness of language learning!

Young Scots Writer o the Year Award 2023

19 May 2023 (Scots Language Centre)

Scottish Book Trust, together with Hands Up for Trad, Scots Hoose, Education Scotland and Scottish Government, are running a competition to find Scotland’s ‘Young Scots writer of the Year’.

The competition is open to 11-18 year-olds, and entries should be submitted by midday on Wednesday 21 June 2023.

Visit the Scots Language Centre website for more information and submission guidelines.

Words for the World winning entries now online!

19 May 2023 (SCILT)

Congratulations again to everyone who took part in our recent Words for the World competition.

Following the awards ceremony on 25 April, and the announcement of the winners’ names, we are now delighted to be able to publish the winning, highly commended and other finalist entries in each category. We are sure that you will be impressed by the fantastic linguistic diversity, creativity and passion that all the finalists show. Well done everyone!

At the awards ceremony we were delighted to be able to share a personal video message from Len Pennie, the well-known Scottish poet and Scots language and mental health advocate, which spoke of the huge difference that all of our words can make; watch her video and be inspired!

German Days Glasgow

16 May 2023 (Goethe-Institut)

The Goethe-Institut Glasgow are offering dates for school visits from June 2023.

Provide your students with a direct and personal look into the German language and culture. Depending on the age group and language level of your students, you can choose a programme from a range of activities for your trip to the Goethe-Institut Glasgow.

Visit the Goethe-Institut Glasgow website for more information and to register your school group.

Languages in schools: how we’re trying to win hearts and minds

10 May 2023 (TES)

Few would contest that the ability to communicate in more than one language is a very good thing. Scotland’s National Centre for Languages (SCILT), driven by this belief, supports languages wherever they are spoken, used and learned across the country, because there is growing evidence that they boost brain power, improve memory, enhance multi-tasking ability and improve performance in other academic areas.

It is therefore troubling to see a growing trend in recent years for learners in secondary schools to drop languages in favour of other subjects as they progress into later years of study.

For several years, young people in Wales have benefited from a mentoring scheme led by colleagues at the University of Cardiff, which appears to be winning hearts and minds. So, when we heard that the Northern Alliance, the University of Aberdeen and the Open University were planning a similar collaboration, we at SCILT felt compelled to get involved so that similar opportunities could be offered to young people in Scotland. From these initial discussions, Scotland’s Language Explorer Programme was born.

(Note - subscription required to access full article)

Languages in schools: how we’re trying to win hearts and minds

10 May 2023 (TES)

Few would contest that the ability to communicate in more than one language is a very good thing. Scotland’s National Centre for Languages (SCILT), driven by this belief, supports languages wherever they are spoken, used and learned across the country, because there is growing evidence that they boost brain power, improve memory, enhance multi-tasking ability and improve performance in other academic areas.

It is therefore troubling to see a growing trend in recent years for learners in secondary schools to drop languages in favour of other subjects as they progress into later years of study.

For several years, young people in Wales have benefited from a mentoring scheme led by colleagues at the University of Cardiff, which appears to be winning hearts and minds. So, when we heard that the Northern Alliance, the University of Aberdeen and the Open University were planning a similar collaboration, we at SCILT felt compelled to get involved so that similar opportunities could be offered to young people in Scotland. From these initial discussions, Scotland’s Language Explorer Programme was born.

(Note - subscription required to access full article)

Scottish Gaelic Edinburgh Place Names: 13 locations in the capital rooted in Gaelic

5 May 2023 (The Scotsman)

While the origins of Gaelic are rooted in the Highlands and Islands, the language forms a major part of Scottish heritage and has found its place even in lowland areas like Edinburgh.

Well over a decade ago, the Scottish Census revealed that Edinburgh held 5,935 people who were ‘skilled’ in Gaelic. The Scottish capital is internationally renowned as a cultural hub with fascinating history (and even a UNESCO World Heritage site) so it’s unsurprising that the heritage language found its place there.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press

A Global Citizenship Approach to French - Free new materials for French learners!!

4 May 2023 (Scotdec / University of Stirling / SCILT)

‘Remembering Empire’ is an interdisciplinary learning programme for pupils of French in S3 and AH, developed by Dr Fiona Barclay (University of Stirling) with the support of the AHRC to build language competence and global citizenship values by exploring France’s empire in Algeria. You can read more about the project and materials on SCILT's website.

Join Scotdec for a series of workshops for BGE and AH French teachers alongside Dr Barclay introducing you to the materials, and providing guidance on discussing themes of colonisation, immigration and refugees within the context of a Global Citizenship approach. More information, dates and sign-up information on the flyer attached below.

In addition, SCILT and Scotdec are joining forces to present a webinar on Active Global Citizenship Through Modern Languages on Thursday 1 June, 4-5pm. As well as general strategies, this webinar will also introduce the Remembering Empire project materials. Register for the free event!

Related Files

Remembering Empire Flyer (129 KB)

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Scotland, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, Partnership Working, Resources, SCILT news, News from language & education organisations

Words for the World - Winners announced!

4 May 2023 (SCILT)

Congratulations to everyone who took part in this year’s Words for the World competition.

We had a very high standard of entries submitted in a range of formats and different languages. Our young people here in Scotland demonstrated a wealth of linguistic diversity, creativity and immense passion for protecting our planet, our humanity and creating a brighter future for us all. We were truly humbled and inspired by their work and they should all be incredibly proud of their achievements.

Judging proved exceptionally difficult, but we were delighted to announce the winning entries at an online awards event held last week to celebrate Earth Day. Well done again to the following who were successful in their respective categories and thank you to every pupil who participated in the competition.

P1-P4

Winner – Libby Gow, Goodlyburn Primary
Highly commended – Jamie Rettie, Goodlyburn Primary

P5-P7

Winner – Sophia Chan, ESMS Junior School
Highly commended – Halima Jemal, Toryglen Primary
Highly commended – Leena Valluri, Goodlyburn Primary

S1-S3

Winner - Deepak Krisna Kumaar, Craigmount High
Highly commended – 1W & 1Q class entry, Holy Rood RC High
Highly commended – Rory Turner, Portree High

S4-S6

Winner - Dianna-Liza Boychuk, Craigmount High
Highly commended - Wessam Kawarit, Craigmount High

Winners and highly commended entrants will receive a book token and certificate and have their work showcased on the SCILT website in due course, whilst all participants will receive a certificate in recognition of their hard work.

You can find out more about the competition on our Words for the World webpage.

Caitlin learned Ukrainian to welcome her friend to Monifieth High – and won poetry competition

4 May 2023 (Dundee Courier)

When Caitlin Anderson, 14, was asked to look after a Ukrainian refugee joining her school it was the start of a special friendship.

As Caitlin helped Veronika Raziievska, also 14, improve her English and settle into her new surroundings, she decided she should make the effort to learn her language.

And as well as making Veronika’s new life at Monifieth High School a little easier, that resulted in Caitlin winning a national competition for a poem she subsequently wrote in Ukrainian.

When she entered the Mother Tongue Other Tongue contest, Caitlin told Veronika’s story to raise awareness of what she and other refugees had endured as a result of the war in Ukraine.

We met the S2 pupils to hear about their friendship and how that resulted in Caitlin’s award-winning poem.

Posted in: S1-S3, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Migration, Languages in the press, Refugees

RZSS Programmes for Schools

2 May 2023 (RZSS)

RZSS Beyond the Panda

Although the giant pandas are returning to China at the end of this year, Beyond the Panda is still continuing.

The new Mandarin upper primary course is 3 weeks virtual sessions followed by an expert for the day! (An in-person outreach visit to your school which can include other sessions for additional classes).

RZSS Science in the Language Class

Choose from one of the outreach sessions linked to Mandarin, Spanish or French. Resources also available in other languages.

All resources, courses and outreach are free of charge.

Visit the Beyond the Panda website for details.

Language courses for pupils at Edinburgh College

27 April 2023 (Edinburgh College)

School pupils who find their chosen language qualification is not offered in their school can study their NQ language course online for free with Edinburgh College.

The college offers National 5 courses in French, German and Spanish as well as Higher and Advanced Higher French, German, Italian and Spanish.

See the attached flyer for details.

Related Files

Edinburgh College Modern Lang Online Courses (195 KB)

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, National Qualifications, News from language & education organisations

Proposed Ambassador Award

24 April 2023 (SCQF)

As part of our continuous review of the SCQF School Ambassador programme, we are investigating the possibility of a new ‘Ambassador’ award that schools could use to gain some formal recognition for young people involved as pupil ambassadors.

The proposed award would be flexible to allow pupils involved in any ambassador programme to take part, meaning that those involved in MyWOW, Young STEM leaders, or any other programmes could gain an SQA award too.

To progress with the idea, SQA would like to gauge interest within schools and we can go from there.

If you have a Language Ambassador Programme in your school, this could be an ideal way to award participants.

Visit the SCQF website for more information and to register your school's interest in the initiative.

Open University TeLT programme - Registration now open!

20 April 2023 (Open University)

TeLT is the Teachers Learning to Teach Languages programme offered by the Open University, and developed in partnership with SCILT, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages. Now in its 7^th year, this professional learning opportunity is aimed at educators working in the primary sector and carries GTCS Professional Recognition.

Students learn a language – French, German, Mandarin or Spanish - and in parallel, get to put primary language pedagogies into practice with their own pupils. The programme is offered at two levels – beginners and post-beginners.

Registration for 2023-24 intake is now open. Enrolment closes 7 September 2023. Modules begin in October.

Visit the TeLT website for full details about how the course works and how to register. For further information please contact: Scotland-languages@open.ac.uk.

Scotland’s Next Generation Young Makars

18 April 2023 (Scottish Poetry Library)

The Scottish Poetry Library seeks submissions to its talent development scheme for poetry writers aged 16 to 25 years. We are looking for poets and poetry that are unique, imaginative and bold – a lot like Scotland itself.

We will select five young makars in total: four poets writing in English or Scots, and a writer in Scottish Gaelic. A bursary of £500 will be made available to each poet to support their engagement with the programme.

Visit the Scottish Poetry Library website for more information and submit applications by 28 April 2023.

SEET's Multilingual Day 2023

18 April 2023 (SEET)

It's our birthday! SEET is proud to be 30 years old this June, and we are using this as an opportunity to raise awareness for language learning in our school communities.

Here at SEET, we are fortunate to work with hundreds of schools each year across the Euroquiz and Our World projects. We would like to use this platform to bring everyone together, have fun with languages and celebrate the hard work of the thousands of young linguists we work with across the country each year.

Interested in taking part? Pupils should work together to organise a language-themed fundraiser at school between March-June. This should be an opportunity to show off creativity and have fun with languages! 50% of proceeds will be allocated to your own school fund, and 50% will be shared with our charity to further support young people with their language learning across Scotland. There will also be prizes for the most unique ideas and for the school that raises the most.

Visit SEET's dedicated web page for full details and to sign up to raise awareness of language learning!

How Latin aims to expand its reach in Scottish state schools

28 March 2023 (TES)

Despite Scotland not producing any new Latin or classical studies teachers, a new project is raising hopes that the language of ancient Rome can be revived in schools.

[..] Dr Henry Stead (of the University of St Andrews) and I (at Monifieth High School, in Angus) initiated a new project - the St Andrews Latin Outreach Scheme (Stalos) - to introduce more state-school pupils to the language of the ancient Romans.

Last year, instructors from St Andrews travelled to Monifieth in Angus once per week, where a lunchtime group of 20 enthusiastic S4-6 pupils were guided through sections of the Cambridge Latin Course over nine weeks. The class then went to the university for an end-of-course certificate presentation event. This opportunity came without the obligation of the full course - they could try an ancient language out to see if it was for them, an opportunity they would otherwise be denied.

The wider impact of the scheme has been remarkable in showing an appetite for Latin in our school. It has provided an opportunity for pupils to visit and experience the University of St Andrews and - crucially - made a case for Latin as an examination subject for us.

(Note - subscription required to access the full article)

Posted in: Senior Phase, Scotland, Language Learning, Languages in the press

Kirkcaldy pupils celebrate success in national poetry competition

18 March 2023 (Fife Today)

Pupils from Valley Primary School, Kirkcaldy, have been celebrating their success in a National Poetry Competition, Mother Tongue Other Tongue.

Six P7 pupils wrote original poems in their first language to showcase and celebrate the many languages spoken at Valley Primary School.

As well as entering the competition they also shared their poems at school along with pupils reciting a range of Scots poetry.

Glasgow Gaelic School appoints new head Gillian Campbell-Thow

17 March 2023 (The Herald)

Glasgow Gaelic School’s first ‘learner’ head teacher has been appointed to lead the flagship campus as record numbers of pupils are expected to enroll this year.

In common with more than 90% of pupils at the school, Gillian Campbell-Thow is not a native speaker of the ancient Scots language.

When the city’s first primary opened in 1999 the roll was predominantly made up of pupils whose parents had ‘heritage’ Gaelic.

While the Ayrshire-born teacher’s appointment might have raised eyebrows in the early days of the school, she says “for the most part” the reaction from the community has been positive.

The 44-year-old is working towards an additional teaching qualification in Gaelic at Strathclyde University and has her own homework to do this evening.

Da chanan, da chultar, iomadh cothrom, is written on her coffee mug: two languages, two cultures, many opportunities.

The new head certainly practices what she preaches. She is fluent in Spanish and French, competent in German and could comfortably chat in Mandarin.

RZSS Programmes for Schools

16 March 2023 (RZSS)

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland runs a variety of opportunities for schools linking language learning and their conservation programmes. Follow the relevant links below to find out more about current initiatives:

'Stripy Tails' Family event at Dewars Centre, Perth on 14^th and 15^th April. StampIT has invited RZSS Stripy Tails along to their youth corner at the ASPS (Association of Scottish Philatelic Societies) Congress. Fascinating facts about the red panda from China and the ring tailed lemur from Madagascar and the programme links to French and Mandarin. Full details on Eventbrite - Stripy Tails at ASPS Congress
Stripy Tails is also one of the 'Science in the Language Class' outreach programmes for schools.
Beyond the Panda, the RZSS Mandarin programme is fully booked for this school year but taking bookings for 23-24. Beyond the Panda is continuing even though the giant pandas will return to China later this year. RZSS is still a science specialist Confucius Classroom offering virtual sessions, in-person outreach and many resources linked to Mandarin language learning. Visit the Beyond the Panda website for more information.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Chinese, French, Spanish, Scotland, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

Multilingual Day 2023

9 March 2023 (SEET)

It’s our birthday! SEET is proud to be 30 years old this June, and we are using this as an opportunity to raise awareness for language learning in our school communities.

Here at SEET, we are fortunate to work with hundreds of schools each year across the Euroquiz and Our World projects. We would like to use this platform to bring everyone together, have fun with languages and celebrate the hard work of the thousands of young linguists we work with across the country each year.

Interested in taking part? Pupils should work together to organise a language-themed fundraiser at school between March-June. This should be an opportunity to show off creativity and have fun with languages! See the attached flyer for more information.

Visit SEET's dedicated web page for full details and to sign up to raise awareness of language learning!

Related Files

SEET Multilingual Day (382 KB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, All Languages, Scotland, Celebrating Languages, Promoting Languages, News from language & education organisations

Taking the Lead with Languages

9 March 2023 (Education Scotland)

Have you ever considered how languages could be the key to unlocking leadership potential? Well, this might be the ideal moment to give it some thought as we investigate Scotland’s Languages Leadership Programme as a route worthy of exploration towards leadership opportunities.

Karen Faulds, a primary school teacher prior to joining Scotland's National Centre for Languages (SCILT) in 2019, tells us about her participation in LLP which formed part of her own leadership journey. She describes the programme as a pivotal moment in that journey and confirms it remains the best professional learning experience for her to date.

Visit the Education Scotland website to read more about Karen's experience. Registration for the 2023-24 is now open. You'll find a link to apply within the article.

Remembering Empire: Free materials to build global citizenship values and competence in French (S3 and AH)

7 March 2023 (University of Stirling)

Looking for free new materials for French learners? ‘Remembering Empire’ is an interdisciplinary learning programme for pupils of French in S3 and Advanced Higher. Developed by Dr Fiona Barclay (University of Stirling) with the support of the Arts and Humanities Research Council, ‘Remembering Empire’ builds language competence and global citizenship values by exploring France’s empire in Algeria. By focusing on the establishment of the colony, life there, and the departure of the settlers when Algeria became independent, learners are encouraged to make connections with Scotland’s history of emigration and colonisation, and with the experiences of refugees today.

The S3 programme consists of five sessions and focuses on an electronic comic book, ‘Entre ici et là-bas’, which tells the story of Jeanne, a young French girl whose family are forced to leave Algeria when it becomes independent. Waiting to board a ship, she reflects on her family’s history, from her great-grandfather who arrived in 1871 and built a farm for his family, to her own experiences of the war that led to independence. We hear about the indigenous Arab population and think about how they experienced this history.

Activities based on the comic include:

City/country names and prepositions
Asking questions and naming objects (if you had to leave home suddenly, what would you pack in your suitcase?)
Describing emotions and using être in the present (how do the different characters feel?)
Different daily routines, in Algeria and in France
Using the near future (aller + infinitive) to imagine what the characters might do in the future.

Free resources include the comic (available on Webtoons), a video-recording of the comic being read aloud by a native speaker, lesson plans for all sessions with detailed information and interactive activities, and suggested drama activities led by actors with video guides.

For learners taking Advanced Higher French, Remembering Empire offers full support for the portfolio element, including the two required texts (a play and an interview with the playwright). Five sessions of archive footage, readings and activities in French introduce learners to the history and culture of French Algeria and the war which led to independence, and give the background required to study the play.

Six sessions focus on a French play, Les Pieds Tanqués (2012). Set on a pétanque pitch, the play presents the conflicting memories of the Algerian War. Full resources include the interactive electronic text of the play and notes, a written interview with the playwright, Philippe Chuyen, lesson plans with detailed information and classroom activities, a blank fiche de lecture and character profiles for pupils to complete (plus completed versions for teachers), and a video recording of a live performance. The package also includes a plan for a potential AH Portfolio essay question.

Interested? The materials will be available from April 2023. To express an interest and be contacted then, leave your name and contact details on this form: https://forms.gle/JNoer7PA2zkAjzvg9

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Scotland, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources, News from language & education organisations

Podcast gives East Renfrewshire pupils chance to use Spanish skills

3 March 2023 (Barrhead News)

Senior pupils at an East Renfrewshire school have put their foreign language skills to good use by taking part in an international podcast.

Francesca Bell, Sam Wells, Rachael Martin and head boy James Orr, of Mearns Castle High, were interviewed for the show by Ángela Gutiérrez, from Spain, and Mariana Mejía, from Colombia.

[..] The episode featuring the four S6 pupils is called ‘Entrevistamos a estudiantes de Glasgow’ and was fully recorded in Spanish.

Posted in: Senior Phase, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, Languages in the press

Lanarkshire youngsters mark world Gaelic week

2 March 2023 (Daily Record)

Pupils at a Lanarkshire nursery celebrated world Gaelic week with a range of activities and shared the language with a special visitor.

Youngsters at Sgoil Araich, the Gaelic-language nursery at Tollbrae Primary in Airdrie, welcomed Anum Qaisar MP to their classrooms during the celebration week.

She took part in a lesson on colours and saw the pupils perform a number of “fantastic” Gaelic songs.

The recent celebration week aims to raise the profile of Gaelic in communities across the country and internationally, with figures from last year estimating that nearly a third of Scotland’s population can speak Gaelic.

Posted in: Early Years, Gaelic, Scotland, Celebrating Languages, Languages in the press

Easter study support 2023

2 March 2023 (e-Sgoil)

Registration for e-Sgoil's Easter study support sessions is now open.

Please note, even if you've been attending term-time evening classes you must register separately for the Easter programme.

Sessions are free to learners. Visit the website to view the timetable and sign up for your preferred sessions. Various classes available for French, German, Gaelic/Gàidhlig and Spanish from National 5 to Advanced Higher.

Research into Scots languages

2 March 2023 (UWS)

A fourth year primary education student at the University of the west of Scotland is carrying out research regarding Scots language in Scottish primary schools.

The purpose of this research is to gather information regarding how Scots is used within Scottish primary schools, as well as how teachers incorporate Scots language within the school and classroom. It will also explore teachers' attitudes to using Scots language within the school and classroom. Research is anonymous.

The student would be grateful to hear from any teacher who is able to complete the questionnaire, available through this link.

Posted in: Scotland, Research, Scots

Glasgow Film Festival 2023

28 February 2023 (Glasgow Film Festival)

Glasgow Film Festival takes place 1-12 March screening the best new releases, a host of old favourites, and some undiscovered gems.

Visit the website for full programme details. Search in the 'genre' dropdown on the What's On page for foreign language films.

Scotland’s Languages Leadership Programme 2023-24 – Applications are now open!

24 February 2023 (SCILT)

Applications for Scotland's Languages Leadership Programme 2023-24 (SLLP) open until 5pm on Monday 24 April.

The SLLP builds leadership capacity to achieve a sustainable model for leading language learning and teaching for all. Applications are welcome from colleagues with 3 years' teaching experience or equivalent, who are interested in developing approaches to language learning and in implementing change in their own contexts. This might include classroom teachers, principal teachers, heads of department, heads of faculty or languages lead practitioners.

This online programme is free of charge to state schools and offers participants the opportunity to engage with the most up-to-date information from Education Scotland and other agencies involved in the delivery of Scotland’s languages policy.

Visit our Professional Learning page for more information about the programme and how to apply. You can also sign up for an online information session which will be hosted by SCILT and Education Scotland on Thursday 23 March.

MTOT 2022-23 - Winners announced!

24 February 2023 (SCILT)

Pupils, teachers and special guests joined us online on 21 February to hear the winners of this year’s Mother Tongue Other Tongue multilingual poetry competition. The date chosen for the event was significant being International Mother Language Day, a day to celebrate all world languages.

We are delighted to announce the following winners and highly commended entries in each category:

Mother Tongue	Award	Pupil	School	Language
P1-P4	Winner	Sofia Poliakova	West Primary	Russian
P1-P4	Highly commended	Jiya Srikanth	West Primary	Tamil
P5-P7	Winner	Ariana Misankova	West Primary	Slovakian
	Highly commended	Arina Fomenko	Williamsburgh PS	Russian-Ukrainian
	Highly commended	Nikola Arimovica	Valley Primary	Russian
	Highly commended	Misha Levdykov	Kilbarchan Primary	Russian-Ukrainian
S1-S3	Winner	Shadan Alousy	Bishopbriggs Academy	Arabic
	Highly commended	Eve Joshi	Bearsden Academy	Danish
	Highly commended	Lynn Januschke	Madras College	German
	Highly commended	Michaela Mileva	St Joseph’s Academy	Bulgarian
S4-S6	Winner	Oleksandra Lotytska	Rosshall Academy	Ukrainian
S4-S6	Highly commended	Lucia d’Alessio	Bishopbriggs Academy	Italian
Other Tongue	Award	Pupil	School	Language
P1-P4	Winner	Mabel Sainsbury	Kilmodan Primary	French
P1-P4	Highly commended	P1 Class	Canaan Lane Primary	French
P5-P7	Winner	Kathryn Morley	Kilmodan Primary	French
	Highly commended	Giles Leigh	Kilmodan Primary	French
	Highly commended	Masha Naumenko	Thorn Primary	Ukrainian
S1-S3	Winner	Caitlin Anderson	Monifieth High	Ukrainian
	Highly commended	Laila Strokosch	Mearns Castle High	French
	Highly commended	Molly Innes	Madras College	French
	Highly commended	Zach Bartlett	Madras College	French
S4-S6	Winner	Jessica Smith	Monifieth High	French
	Highly commended	Aiman Mohammad	Renfrew High	French
	Highly commended	Aimee Carroll	Mintlaw Academy	German
	Highly commended	Jessica Smith	Monifieth High	Spanish
	Highly commended	Roux Scott	Loudoun Academy	Spanish

All our finalists will receive a certificate and book token. Winning entrants will also be offered the chance for their poems to feature in The Children's Poetry Archive and Kids Poetry Club podcast. We will be in contact with schools shortly about taking these extra special opportunities forward.

This year we were also delighted to host a special strand of the competition focusing on Ukrainian languages. The winning entries in this category were:

Primary – Arina Fomenko, Williamsburgh Primary
Secondary – Dianna-Liza Boyckuk, Craigmount High

Teachers with students who entered in this category will be contacted separately regarding their awards.

It is our intention to host each of the finalists’ poems on the SCILT website and we'll announce when these are available.

Congratulations again to all our finalists!

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, All Languages, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, Mother Tongue, SCILT news

Putting Gaelic firmly on the tourism map

23 February 2023 (The Herald)

Scotland is famous for many things, its scenery, its history, its people and of course, our distinct and vibrant culture.

Seachdain na Gàidhlig (World Gaelic Week) is a fantastic celebration of one of the most valuable aspects of our cultural heritage; our language. It helps recognise the role Gaelic plays in shaping our culture and raise awareness of the language with audiences the world over. We are hugely excited to be part of it and share this story with our visitors.

But this week is also a timely reminder of why we must preserve Gaelic for future generations, for our future visitors but also for the communities who use it.

Responsible tourism is at the heart of everything we do at VisitScotland, and this includes protecting Scotland’s culture and heritage. We recognise the importance of preserving those assets, which are so vital to Scotland’s brand and make Scotland so unique.

Gaelic and its rich culture provide an extra layer of authenticity for visitors with a unique experience you can only truly have in Scotland. This only strengthens the destination connection we know means so much to visitors.

Online French and Spanish Courses for Secondary Teachers

16 February 2023 (LFEE)

LFEE Europe is again offering their online GTCS-accredited course for Secondary teachers.

Participants to this course will meet the GTCS requirements for residency.

The course will run from March to May 2023.

Visit the LFEE website for further information about the course and fees.

Education Scotland's language resources

9 February 2023 (Education Scotland)

Languages Week Scotland was celebrated from 30 January to 3 February. If you missed it, don’t worry, there are still plenty of resources to support language learners. Browse our languages wakelet for lots of useful links and resources.

‘Most adults’ should be able to speak a foreign language

3 February 2023 (TES)

For a decade it has been government policy in Scotland that children should learn two languages in school - starting their first language in P1 and their second in P5, and continuing with them until at least the third year of secondary.

However, the figures show the policy - which began being introduced in 2013 and was supposed to be fully implemented by August 2021 - has yet to be fully realised.

Research published by the government in April last year, based on a survey of 86 per cent of primary schools and 88 per cent of secondaries, shows that just 69 per cent of primary schools were delivering a second language continuously from P1 to P7.

A further 29 per cent were “partially” delivering a second language and 2 per cent were delivering no second language whatsoever.

All secondaries were delivering a second language in S1 to S3 - but not all of them were doing so continuously: 70 per cent said they were delivering the entitlement to a second language in full.

And that’s before we get to the third language.

Welcoming Languages: Including a Refugee Language in Scottish Education

3 February 2023 (University of Glasgow)

This collaborative project, carried out by an international team based at the University of Glasgow and at the Arabic Center of the Islamic University of Gaza (Palestine), explores the inclusion of a ‘refugee language’ in Scottish education as a way to enact the idea of ‘integration as a two-way process’ that is at the heart of the New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy (Scottish Government, 2018).

The project aimed to show that it is possible to make space in Scottish education for the many languages that New Scots bring with them and to give a space in Scottish schools to a greater number of languages that include those of the people who chose Scotland as their new home.

Visit the website for more information and to read the project's final report.

Write a story featuring a fox

2 February 2023 (Scottish Book Trust)

Each month the Scottish Book Trust runs a writing competition providing a prompt to get you started, but where the story goes from there is entirely up to you. The competition includes four categories: adult writers, all-age Gaelic writers, young writers 5–11 and young writers 12–18.

This month's stories must include a fox and be no longer than 50 words. Visit the Scottish Book Trust website to enter by 28 February.

Scottish Education Awards 2023

31 January 2023 (Scottish Education Awards)

Nominations are now open for this year's Scottish Education Awards.

The annual event recognises those who dedicate their lives to children and young people and showcases the valuable work and innovation in Scottish classrooms.

There are several award categories, including the award for Gaelic Education.

Visit the website for more information and submit nominations by 24 February 2023.

11 Fascinating Scottish place names and their meanings from Gaelic, to Norse, to Pictish

27 January 2023 (The Scotsman)

Scotland boasts a wealth of fascinating place names with their meanings rooted in Gaelic, Norse and Pictish, here are 10 examples that reveal this diversity of language across Scottish history.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press, Scots

Languages Week 2023

26 January 2023 (SWEIC)

South West Educational Improvement Collaborative (SWEIC) is excited to launch our programme of professional learning opportunities in celebration of languages week. This year we have a wide selection of inputs, including French, Spanish, Ukrainian, Scots, Gaelic and BSL.

Our Keynote delivered by Education Scotland colleagues is A decade of 1+2 and Scotland’s changing languages landscape.

Visit the SWEIC blog to find out what's planned for the week and how to take part.

Schools programme

26 January 2023 (Institut français)

All year round, the Institut français d’Écosse offers a variety of language workshops and Immersion days to support pupils and teachers in primary and secondary schools. Give your students the opportunity to be surrounded by the French language and supported by our team of qualified, native-speaking French teachers and friendly staff. Maximum group of 20 pupils.

More information is available on the attached flyer or you can visit the Institut français website.

Related Files

Flyer cinema and workshop 2023 IFE VF (6.74 MB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Scotland, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

Why Gaelic is the talk of Scotland

23 January 2023 (The Herald)

Bòrd na Gàidhlig is the principal public body in Scotland responsible for promoting Gaelic development, including providing advice to Scottish Ministers on Gaelic issues.

Amongst a range of functions, it produces the National Gaelic Language Plan for Ministerial approval, oversees the development and implementation of Gaelic Language Plans by Public Authorities, distributes funds for the development of the Gaelic language, provides leadership and advice in support of Gaelic language initiatives and initiates and implements other projects.

It also promotes Gaelic locally, nationally and internationally, with this work being informed by listening and reacting to the needs of communities.

[..] Thanks to support from Bòrd Na Gàidhlig, and huge interest from Gaelic speakers across Scotland and around the world, February 2023 sees the second official global Scottish Gaelic language week; Seachdain na Gàidhlig (World Gaelic Week) taking place through a series of in-person and online events.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Celebrating Languages, Languages in the press

French and Spanish free trials

23 January 2023 (La Jolie Ronde)

To support Languages Week Scotland, La Jolie Ronde are offering Schools now and throughout February, FREE trials of their French and Spanish Scheme of Work for P3-P6. To take up this offer email: schools@lajolieronde.co.uk (quote SCILT).

Plus, parents can book a FREE trial session of a French and/or Spanish class run through their network of Scottish tutors - local tutors can be found on La Jolie Ronde's website.

Young Scots Writer o the Year Award 2023

19 January 2023 (Scottish Book Trust)

Are you someone with stories to share? Or a teacher working with young writers we should know about? We're looking for our next Scots writer of the year.

Stories, poems, spoken word pieces, comics, videos or other pieces of writing – we want to see it all, as long as it's in Scots and under 2500 words or up to ten minutes. Open to Scots writers aged 11-18. Enter by 21 June 2023.

Concours de la Francophonie 2023

12 January 2023 (Institut français)

Since its launch in 2016 by the Institut français d’Ecosse, le Concours de la francophonie, a national school competition to encourage all young French learners and their teachers around Scotland enjoying French language, has been a great way of celebrating the international day of la francophonie.

Throughout the years, many schools across Scotland have taken part in the competition and we hope to receive great entries this year again!

All Scottish primary and secondary schools offering French may enter this competition by submitting a short video of a classroom activity in French. The theme of the competition this year is : “PLAY” - “JOUER” en français. Deadline extended to 31 January 2023.

Visit the Institut français website or see the attached flyer for more information.

Related Files

Concours de la Francophonie 2023 VFF (651 KB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

Free live streamed Mandarin NQ classes with CISS

9 January 2023 (SCILT/CISS)

You can now register interest to take part in our online National Qualification Mandarin classes with our GTCS Mandarin teachers.

Please see the flyer for more information, a teacher testimonial and the link to register your interest. If you cannot access the registration link through the flyer you can find the form here:

All the information is also available on the CISS website.

Related Files

Discovering China NQ (1.33 MB)

Posted in: Senior Phase, Chinese, Scotland, Language Learning, National Qualifications, SCILT news, CISS news

Mathématiques sans Frontières competition

16 December 2022 (UWS)

The University of the West of Scotland (UWS), coupled with the Scottish Mathematical Council, is organising the world-wide Mathematics and Language competition “Mathématiques sans Frontières” in Scotland (and rUK). We are hopeful that we continue to offer a stimulating and light-hearted competition for S4-S6 pupils which combines Mathematics and Modern Languages. For those of you who have not taken part previously, this competition aims to motivate pupils in these subjects, promote teamwork throughout pupils of all abilities, and bridge borders between countries across the world.

Attached is a discovery training test for “Mathématiques Sans Frontières” alongside some more formal competition instructions, and an entry proforma for the competition. Entry deadline: 27 January 2023.

You can also find more information on the UWS Mathématiques sans Frontières website.

Lesley Duncan: You can help the Scots language thrive

11 December 2022 (The Herald)

The Herald has long backed Scottish writers, whether writing in Scots or 'standard' English. In recent years, young Scots poet and Herald columnist Len Pennie has popularised the language via her online Scots Word of the Day. And, of course, we run a Scots Word of the Week each Saturday from our friends at the Dictionaries of the Scots Language.

So we are delighted to get behind annual McCash Scots Poetry Competition, run jointly by The Herald and Glasgow University.

The contest celebrates our traditional language in all its forms, and aims to support it. This year a first prize of £200 and three runner-up prizes of £100 are to be won. Poets can submit material on any theme of their choice.

Posted in: Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Languages in the press, Scots

CISS Chinese New Year Poster Competition 2023

8 December 2022 (CISS)

CISS is delighted to announce a poster competition for primary schools to celebrate the forthcoming Year of the Rabbit!

Deadline for entries: Friday 13 January 2023

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT AN ENTRY - entries submitted by email will not be accepted.

The competition is open to all primary schools in Scotland.

DETAILS:

Design a poster to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit!

Entries will be judged against the criteria below. Please submit a high quality photo or scan of each entry.

Please make sure posters include:

The rabbit
Mandarin Chinese language/characters
The year 2023

The winning entry will receive a prize and be featured online, and the poster will be used as the CISS Chinese New Year e-card!

Posted in: Primary, Chinese, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, CISS news

RZSS Beyond the Panda

7 December 2022 (RZSS)

RZSS Beyond the Panda offers a range of FREE courses and outreach visits. Please see beyondthepanda.org.uk for full details.

These include:

5 week course aimed at upper primary but may also be of interest to lower secondary. Four weeks live virtual sessions, followed by an in-person outreach. Linked to Mandarin language learning.

Single outreach sessions which compare two RZSS projects and aimed at upper primary:
Giants: the giant panda from China and the giant anteater from South America - available in either Mandarin or Spanish.
Stripy Tails: (available from April 2023 but bookings open and best to book early) the red panda from China and the ring-tailed lemur from Madagascar - available in either Mandarin or French.

There may also be availability for lower primary and some opportunities for secondary. For any of the sessions, contact srobb@rzzz.org.uk

Please book in well in advance. Fully booked to April 2023 but spaces available in May and June.

Learn Gaelic

6 December 2022 (Education Scotland / e-Sgoil)

Learn Gaelic, Scotland’s oldest National Language, online with other students from across Scotland via e-Sgoil, working in partnership with UHI Outer Hebrides.

Courses Available: National 5 Gaelic Learners, Higher Gaelic Learners, National 5 Gaidhlig (fluent speakers), Higher Gaidhlig (fluent speakers).

Frequency: Twice weekly, draft timetable available but this can be flexible to some degree to meet the needs of Learners.

Format: Online lessons via Microsoft Teams.

Offered at both National 5 and Higher, and with courses designed by award-winning staff, Gaelic comes alive through regular, interactive, online lessons, and quality digital support materials.

Learning Gaelic opens doors to many things, including exciting career choices, further education, Scottish culture, history, geography, tourism and wellbeing. Now is your chance to become part of this rich and rewarding world.

The National 5 and Higher courses are designed to help develop skills and knowledge rapidly, getting even those learners with no Gaelic at the start of the course to a level of confidence and fluency quickly. Self-study and independent learning are important elements of the course but there is a wealth of support and resources at your fingertips.

You will meet and make friends with other young people from across Scotland.

This course may be most attractive to students with interests in languages, traditional music, outdoor activities, the media, citizenship, history, or indeed any subject matter.

Gabh an cothrom! Seize the opportunity!

Visit the website or register provisional interest here and someone will be in touch to discuss with you: https://forms.office.com/e/6gLdv307Y4

Lennie Pennie: Debunking the myths about the Scots language

2 December 2022 (The Herald)

I’m biased when it comes to the Scots language: I'm a speaker, educator and a massive nerd.

I acknowledge not everyone has the same level of passion when it comes to research and engagement, so they might not know much about the language and its cultural context.

This week, I've enlisted the help of an independent fact-checker, Ferret Fact Service (FFS), to look at the truth behind some common claims which endure about Scots.

I encourage everyone to form conclusions based on independently-verified information. If you do find yourself shifting perspective once seeing the facts, I applaud your open-mindedness.

I like to think of ignorance as an essential, yet temporary part of every learning journey, so whether you know nothing about Scots yet or you've already formed your own opinions, I hope this article can be of use to you.

Posted in: Scotland, Languages in the press, Scots

Gaelic Medium National Discussion

24 November 2022 (e-Sgoil)

A video resource has been produced which can be used by Gaelic Medium class teachers (Primary & Secondary) to facilitate conversations around the National Discussion. The video is designed to be a 'stop & start' activity where learners are encouraged to take time to think through how they would answer each of the 4 questions below:

Nuair a tha thu a’ smaoineachadh mu dheidhinn ionnsachadh no foghlam tro mheadhan na Gaidhlig, de na faclan a tha a’ tighinn a-steach ort?
Nam biodh cothrom agad sgoil ur a thoiseachadh, de na rudan a bhiodh cudthromach dhut? Carson?
De bhiodh na chuideachadh dhut barrachd Gaidhlig a chleachdadh san sgoil? Carson?
Nan robh agad ri recipe a sgriobhadh airson foghlam tro mheadhan na Gaidhlig anns an t-am ri teachd, de na coig rudan a dh’fheumadh a bhith ann?

The video is presented by Linda Macleod and is available on the e-Sgoil website.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, Gaelic, Scotland, Language Policy

Scottish Gaelic Awards 2023

22 November 2022 (Scottish Gaelic Awards)

Nominations for the 2023 Scottish Gaelic Awards are now open!

The Awards reward all aspects of the Gaelic language and culture across the length and breadth of the country.

Visit the website for more information on the award categories and submit nominations by 8 January 2023.

SEET Euroquiz Project for P6

22 November 2022 (SEET)

The Scottish European Educational Trust (SEET) runs language learning and global citizenship projects for children and young people across Scotland. Euroquiz is an annual project open to all P6 pupils across Scotland, which sees teams of four working together to broaden their knowledge of Europe and the wider world. Subjects covered include languages, history, geography, culture and European affairs. Heats take place in local authorities from February to April, with the winning teams from all areas progressing to the National Euroquiz Final held in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament in June.

To enter your team, please complete the Registration Form for schools and return to your local authority Euroquiz organiser. All schools in Scotland will receive this information directly from their local authority organiser. If you have not received a form, or do not know who your local organiser is, please get in touch with SEET: jane@seet.org.uk

We recently provided a CLPL session for interested teachers. Please find a full recording of the event here: https://youtu.be/un8iL3wN7-s

A downloadable flyer for schools is also attached.

More information about Euroquiz available on SEET's website or by emailing jane@seet.org.uk.

Related Files

Euroquiz flyer for schools (5.95 MB)

Posted in: Primary, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

Spanish and French live virtual lessons for pupils: 10-week block

17 November 2022 (Argyll & Bute/N Ayrshire Councils)

Stacey Arneil, 1+2 Development officer for North Ayrshire has teamed up with Gwen McCrossan, PT for 1+2 languages for Argyll & Bute Council to offer a 10-week pilot of live virtual lessons in French and Spanish. These lessons are suitable for learners from P4 onwards as the content bridges First and Second Level Experiences and Outcomes. The lessons would also suit as a standalone L3 topic. This offer is open to all Scottish primary schools using Glow Teams.

Each lesson will last 45 minutes. The same live lesson will run twice in the same week. You can choose to attend one, or the other. It is not necessary to stick to the same day.

The deadline for sign-up is 21 December 2022.

Follow the link below for more information and to register your class.

Concours de la Francophonie 2023

11 November 2022 (Institut français)

Institut français d’Ecosse is proud to announce its 2023 edition of Concours de la Francophonie, a school competition at national level aiming at developing communicative skills in French. The theme this year is 'PLAY' ('JOUER' in French) and there will be winners for each category : P1/P4 - P5/P7 - S1/S3 - S4/S6. Enter by 13 January 2023.

For more information see the attached flyer or contact : ife.francophonie@gmail.com

Related Files

Concours de la Francophonie 2023 (651 KB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

Book Week Scotland 2022

10 November 2022 (Scottish Book Trust)

The annual celebration of books and reading across the country takes place 14–20 November. During Book Week, people of all ages and walks of life come together to share the joy of reading.

This year's stories have been shared on the Scottish Book Trust website and a handful of their favourites compiled in a free book. With the event focusing on 'Scotland's Stories' you'll find several told in Scots and Gaelic.

Visit the Book Week Scotland website to discover the events taking place across the week and activities and resources to help you get involved.

Sabhal Mòr Ostaig: Gaelic college 'should get university status'

10 November 2022 (The Herald)

Respected Scottish writer and historian Professor James Hunter is calling for an internationally renowned college on the Isle of Skye to become Scotland’s first Gaelic University.

The move, which would require the backing of the Scottish Government and the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council (SFC), would give Sabhal Mòr Ostaig its own university degree-awarding powers for the first time.

It comes as ministers warned of a crisis in a bid to keep Gaelic alive because of a dramatic shortage of teachers.

Based in the Sleat peninsula, in the south of Skye, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the National Centre for Gaelic Language and Culture, is currently a currently a college delivering both Further and Higher Education, and an independent academic partner of the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI).

With the unique distinction of having Scottish Gaelic as the sole language of instruction on its courses, the college is regarded as having played a crucial role in the linguistic and cultural renaissance of the Gaelic language in Scotland.

MEd Education Studies course modules for language practitioners

4 November 2022 (University of Strathclyde)

The School of Education in the University of Strathclyde have developed two new modules as part of the MEd Education Studies course that may be of particular interest to languages practitioners (EYs, primary, secondary MFL, FE, EAL/ESOL, Gaelic).

Multilingual and Multicultural Education: Policy, Theory and Practice (commencing Jan 2023)

This module is designed to develop your knowledge of multilingual and multicultural contexts within education and wider society. This module will equip you with core skills for language learning and teaching and consider the role of intercultural education. You will extend your confidence in language teaching approaches within and across the curriculum. This class will encourage you to be reflective and adaptive in your practice.

Enacting Social Justice in Language Learning and Teaching (commencing April 2023)

As languages educators, how can we achieve the goal of prioritising equity, diversity, and inclusion in the languages classroom? Using theory, research and examples of innovative approaches for promoting social justice, this module is aimed at language educators in all sectors and is designed to develop your knowledge of a range of contemporary issues in language education. This module aims to develop critical thinking and reflection and consider how these impact on social justice pedagogy and agency for social change.

More information can be found in the attached flyer or visit the University of Strathclyde website.

Related Files

MEd Education Studies course new module info (105 KB)

Posted in: Early Years, Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, All Languages, Scotland, CPD, Language Teaching, Teacher Education, News from language & education organisations

SQA Advanced Higher Modern Languages course reports 2022

31 October 2022 (SQA)

The SQA has now published this year's course reports for AH Gaelic (Learners), German and Spanish.

These can be found on the Advanced Higher Modern Languages webpage within the Course Reports section.

French Film Festival Learning Programme 2022

25 October 2022 (French Film Festival)

The French Film Festival 2022 Learning Programme, offering a selection of films for schools free of charge, is now live!

Check out and download the programme of films for all ages. The programme runs until Christmas.

Simply choose your titles, complete the booking form, then create your account to have free access to all the films and learning packs that go with them.

For more information contact schools@frenchfilmfestival.org.uk or visit the French Film Festival website.

SQA Advanced Higher Modern Languages course reports 2022

20 October 2022 (SQA)

SQA has now published the 2022 Advanced Higher Italian course report.

Visit the Advanced Higher Modern Languages webpage for more information.

Gaelic broadcasting 'needs better support'

20 October 2022 (BBC)

The UK government says it is considering whether new legislation or funding would better support Gaelic broadcasting.

During a debate at Westminster, Conservative former Scotland Office minister Iain Stewart said the service required the same status enjoyed by Welsh language broadcasters.

He said Gaelic broadcasting was vital culturally and socially and delivered a positive economic impact, but needed public sector broadcast status in legislation.

Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan said options to improve support for the service was being looked at as part the forthcoming Media Bill.

Broadcasting is a matter reserved to Westminster.

The Scottish government said support for the Gaelic language was vital.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Funding, Languages in the press

DYW Live Sessions: Languages and your career

11 October 2022 (e-Sgoil)

Following last year's 'Languages and your career' workshop, e-Sgoil in partnership with SCILT will be hosting a series of sessions over six weeks from the end of October through to early December 2022.

Schools can sign up for as many or as few as they wish; after a first general session, the remaining five weeks will explore how a different language each week can contribute to success in a range of jobs and career paths. These will be interactive workshops featuring input from people working with the language of focus each week. These sessions aim to introduce learners (S2-S4) to the importance of languages and their associated skills in the workplace, break down stereotypes of careers that use languages, identify appropriate career pathways, and hear examples of people who use languages in their daily work.

Visit the e-Sgoil website for more information and to register interest in the sessions.

AMOPA: Parlons français - A competition for students of AH French

11 October 2022 (AMOPA)

Now that school life is back to a “new normal” AMOPA is once again running the Parlons français competition.

“It must be the easiest competition ever to take part in!” That’s a quote from a teacher and it’s true!

All we need is a short recording of students as they prepare for their speaking test. We will assess it and give everyone some feedback. We also award prizes and certificates.

We hope that taking part supports your pupils’ learning and exam preparation and is not a distraction. They are practising anyway – why not let them get some feedback on that?

As in previous years we will have prizes for the best entries, a certificate for every entrant and a gift for each school taking part too. In the last few years all schools were given a DVD of a French film.

More information is available in the attached pdf document. Entry deadline: 15 February 2023.

Related Files

Parlons français 2023 - A competition for students of AH French (215 KB)

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

SQA - Markers for 2023 exams

11 October 2022 (SQA)

SQA is recruiting markers for the external assessment of National Courses in 2022-23. Opportunities are available across all subjects and levels, and full training will be provided. Visit the SQA website to find out more.

FilmG competitions 2022

6 October 2022 (FilmG)

FilmG is an annual Gaelic short film festival which aims to foster and develop new talent for Gaelic media. Now in its 15th edition, the FilmG festival is this year offering two competitions, both focusing on this year's theme 'Buidhe (Yellow)'. Follow the relevant link below for more information:

FilmG Festival Youth Competition - under 18s create a Gaelic film under 5 minutes which is yellow in any way possible. Submit by 9 December 2022.
Film G Festival Open Competition - strand for ages 18+
10 Seconds of Yellow - young people aged 13+ produce a 10-second video that creatively uses the colour yellow. Submit by 21 October 2022.

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, Gaelic, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Cross-Curricular Working, News from language & education organisations

'Ground-breaking' language plan paves way for Scots to flourish in Shetland

5 October 2022 (The National)

A “groundbreaking” language plan in Shetland should pave the way for Scots to “gain the foothold it deserves”, a linguistics expert has said.

Professor Viveka Velupillai told The National that the language plan for Shaetlan was “an important first step” in getting it and the macro Scots language stronger recognition.

In conjunction with Dr Beth Mouat, Velupillai has succeeded in getting the University of the Highlands and Islands Shetland board to sign up to the Shaetlan Language Plan.

It means that the variant of Scots will be used on signage and in learning environments in an effort to raise the profile of Shaetlan “locally, nationally, and internationally”.

Posted in: Scotland, Languages in the press, Scots

Royal National Mòd: Perth prepares for thousands of visitors

4 October 2022 (BBC)

Thousands of visitors are expected to descend on Perth later this month for the Royal National Mòd.

Scotland's annual festival of Gaelic language, culture and sport is returning to the city for the first time in 18 years.

City leaders are preparing for an influx of about 7,500 people for the eight-day event, predicted to be worth £1m to the local economy.

It begins on 14 October with a torchlit procession and an opening concert.

The Mòd will feature more than 200 competitions in music, dancing, storytelling and sport. For the first time it will also feature an art contest this year.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Celebrating Languages, Languages in the press

Warning of crisis in Gaelic teacher recruitment

4 October 2022 (BBC)

The teaching of Gaelic in schools is in crisis due to a shortage of new teachers, according to a study.

It suggests over the next five years a minimum of 225 teachers would be needed to meet demand, but only 25 qualified for the whole of this year.

The analysis comes from a former leader and a former education boss at Highland Council.

The Scottish government said it was committed to supporting Gaelic medium education.

Dr Michael Foxley and Prof Bruce Robertson, a former director of education at Highland Council and visiting professor at the University of Strathclyde, carried out the study. Their paper has been submitted to a Scottish government consultation on Gaelic and Scots education.

Dr Foxley and Prof Robertson said their study suggested there was already a recruitment crisis and the situation was likely to get significantly worse, with rural and island schools being the hardest hit.

They said a minimum of 135 new primary and 90 new secondary teachers would be required over the next five years to meet the needs of 19 local authorities already with Gaelic provision, or planning to introduce it.

Discovery Film Festival 2022

30 September 2022 (DCA)

Discovery Film Festival, Scotland’s international film festival for young audiences, is back for its 19th year, Sat 22 October to Sun 6 November. There's another packed programme of the best new films for young audiences from around the world - and once again the festival will be available both online and at Dundee Contemporary Arts.

Visit the website for full details.

Le Foot et La Francophonie 2022-23

30 September 2022 (SCILT)

We are delighted to announce the national roll-out of Le Foot et La Francophonie 2022-23! Following a successful pilot project with four Glasgow schools last session, we have now opened registrations for expressions of interest in Le Foot et La Francophonie 2022-23. This interdisciplinary project brings together French and professional football, opening learners’ eyes to the relevance of language learning in the world of international sports, focussing on the four core language skills and building awareness of cultures in French-speaking countries across the globe. To find out more and to register your interest in this competition, which is open to pupils in S2 and S3, please visit the SCILT website.

An initial information session for teachers will take place on Thursday 3 November (3.45 - 4.45pm) and schools will be asked to confirm their participation by Friday 11 November.

Mother Tongue Other Tongue multilingual poetry competition

29 September 2022 (SCILT)

A reminder that schools interested in taking part in this year’s MTOT competition have until 6 October (National Poetry Day) to register. The competition provides a great opportunity for all pupils in Scotland P1-S6 to get creative with a language they speak at home (Mother Tongue) or are learning at school (Other Tongue). Students can even enter in both categories!

Gaelic education in Scotland: how much progress has been made?

23 September 2022 (TES)

In August, Renfrewshire Council became the latest Scottish local authority to introduce Gaelic-medium education for primary pupils. Now, half of Scottish councils (16 out of 32 authorities) offer primary Gaelic-medium education almost four decades on from the first primary units being established in 1985 in Glasgow and Inverness.

They began with a couple of dozen pupils in total. Now over 3,500 primary pupils are taught through the medium of Gaelic in Scotland, while many people more generally are being drawn to Gaelic - by February this year over a million people had accessed the Duolingo language learning app’s Gaelic course.

Still, experts say that the language’s future remains precarious. Wilson McLeod, professor of Gaelic at the University of Edinburgh, says it is becoming a “network language” - spoken between family members and between friends and acquaintances with the linguistic skills - but not tied to a particular geographic area.

“The idea of the tight-knit rural community where everyone speaks the same language seems less likely at this stage,” he says, while adding that “nothing is impossible with the right support and the right commitment”.

However, discussion about how far interventions should go - and the role that education should play in the promotion and preservation of Gaelic - can become clouded by politics, with the promotion of Gaelic decried by critics as a nationalist project.

But McLeod disagrees with the portrayal of the SNP “forcing Gaelic down people’s throats”. Indeed, he is highly critical of the Scottish government, accusing it of being “tentative” and “half-hearted” in its approach to the language.

The Labour-Lib Dem administration from 1999 to 2007 did more for Gaelic than has been done since the SNP came to power, he says. He describes the amount being invested by the Scottish government in Gaelic as “pitiful” and says there has been “very little serious policy in relation to Gaelic” and some “serious opportunities” missed.

In fact, McLeod argues, parents rather than politics have been the driving force behind the growth of Gaelic-medium education (GME).

Certainly, it was parents who got the first GME classes up and running in 1985 and it was parents who made the case for introducing GME in Renfrewshire in August - albeit new laws introduced by the Scottish government set out the process for such a request.

But with a Scottish Languages Bill in the offing and the government consulting until mid-November on matters Gaelic and Scots, might parents hope that in the future there will be less onus on them, that a more strategic approach be taken to Gaelic-medium education?

(Note - subscription required to access full article).

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press

The Language Ambassadors Programme

23 September 2022 (University of Strathclyde/SCILT)

The Language Ambassadors family has grown!

For 2022-2023, the University of Strathclyde and the University of Stirling will be working together to offer an even greater variety for our visits.

In the coming session, we will be back offering on-site visits, as well as virtual visits.

So, get your learners to discover the joys of learning and being able to use another language by organising a Language Ambassadors visit to your school!

Our Language Ambassadors are students of French, Italian, Mandarin or Spanish, on a range of degree programmes. These include BA Honours in French and Spanish, Professional Education and Languages, International Business and a Modern Language, Law and a Language, Psychology and a European Language, but also Engineering and Science degrees and they are keen to share their experiences of learning and using their languages as well as discovering new cultures.

This programme provides student role models to promote languages to young people and encourage your learners to choose languages as part of their high school curriculum. It is free of charge but we expect the school to cover travelling expenses for ambassadors.

We can deliver a range of activities, such as:

A presentation about their experiences as university language learners and their experiences abroad;
Q&A sessions about the benefits of studying a language for future study and/or employability;
A small group discussion for Senior phase students who have already selected a language;
Micro-presentations as part of a school-wide event

Visit the Language Ambassadors Programme website to find out more, and how to book a visit for your school starting October 2022.

If you have any questions about The Language Ambassadors programme, please contact Cédric Moreau and Cristina Johnston.

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, Chinese, French, Italian, Spanish, Scotland, Language Ambassadors, Language Learning, Promoting Languages, SCILT news

SQA Advanced Higher Modern Languages course reports 2022

22 September 2022 (SQA)

The SQA has published this year's course reports for Advanced Higher French and Advanced Higher Chinese languages.

These can be found on the SQA Advanced Higher Modern Languages webpage under Course Reports.

The Ramshorn Time Capsule competition 2022 – Winners announced!

22 September 2022 (SCILT)

SCILT and CISS presented a poster competition aimed at S2-S3 learners, to design the contents of their own time capsule – past or present – to join in with the celebration of Glasgow Doors Open Day 2022.

Secondary learners from across Scotland took part in the competition which provided a fantastic opportunity to share their cultural heritage, demonstrate their creativity, and showcase their language skills, both learned at school and used at home.

Congratulations to our winners, Abby Slack, S3 learner from Mearns Castle High School who won the ‘past’ category and to Emerald Li, S3 learner from Mearns Castle High School who won the ‘present’ category.

photo of Abby Slack holding her winning poster photo of Emerald Li with her winning poster

They were awarded with a £30 voucher and their work was featured in The Ramshorn exhibition as part of Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival on 16 and 17 September 2022. Well done to everyone who took part in this competition, the judging panel were impressed by all entries received and hope that you will participate again next year!

Find out more about the competition on our website.

Languages Week Scotland - save the date!

22 September 2022 (SCILT)

Languages Week Scotland is a celebration of language learning and multilingualism in Scotland. Now in its fifth year, Languages Week Scotland 2023 will take place from 30 January – 3 February and will be a week of activity across the country.

The theme for 2023 is “Languages for a peaceful world”. Language skills build trust and deepen diplomatic and cultural relations between countries and cultures; they allow for an appreciation that other cultures have different ways of doing things, building social cohesion and improving social mobility. Language skills facilitate in the individual the development of a wide spectrum of soft-skills and attributes including communication, diplomacy, negotiation and empathy[1].

Languages Week Scotland 2023 aims to celebrate how languages – spoken and signed – equip us as individuals and as a society to contribute to a peaceful world. Educational establishments, community-based groups, arts and sports organisations, social enterprises and businesses – large and small – are invited to engage with the week. Follow the hashtag #ScotlandLovesLanguages and the dedicated Twitter account @LangsWeekScot.

[1] Statements taken from reports published by the British Council and the British Academy. Access these through the SCILT website.

Posted in: Scotland, Celebrating Languages, SCILT news

Education Scotland – New resource to support 1+2 languages in primary settings

21 September 2022 (Education Scotland)

This resource, in the form of suggested weekly planners for the school session, is designed to support primary practitioners to plan and deliver languages from P1 through to P7. The resource contains suggested timeframes, contexts for learning, supports progression across the four skills in language learning from Early to Second level and contains links to helpful and free to access resources. The resource can be tailored to suit practitioners’ preferred contexts for learning.

Visit Education Scotland's National Improvement Hub website to access the new resource.

Maths Week Scotland 2022 - Maths wi nae borders

20 September 2022 (Maths Week Scotland)

Inspired by the annual Mathématiques sans Frontières contest, this mini-competition includes a language element and is for any class to complete together.

The challenge launches at the start of Maths Week Scotland on 26 September. Entries should be submitted by 22 October.

Visit the Maths Week Scotland website for more information.

Jacqueline Munro-Lafon Essay Prize 2022 - Winners announced!

9 September 2022 (SCILT/Franco-Scottish Society)

The Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland, in partnership with SCILT, ran the second iteration of the Jacqueline Munro-Lafon Essay Prize in 2022. This prize was established in honour of Madame Jacqueline Munro-Lafon’s long and active life in the Franco-Scottish Community.

Pupils from across Scotland took part in the competition, which provides a fantastic opportunity for AH French candidates to showcase their French writing skills in a national competition. The Jacqueline Munro-Lafon French Essay Prize mirrors elements of the writing marking guidelines for AH French and offers pupils an opportunity to compete for a first-place prize of £500 and recognition on a national stage.

Candidates produced some very high quality essays. The winners were announced at an awards ceremony held by Zoom on Tuesday 31 May 2022. A recording of this, along with a list of the winning entries, is now available on the Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland website.

This session’s competition will be launched before Christmas and registration for schools will open in January 2023. For more information, please visit our webpage.

e-Sgoil study support 2022-23

1 September 2022 (e-Sgoil)

Online study support sessions for learners in Scotland are again being offered by e-Sgoil. Registration for the autumn term evening webinars opens 5 September.

Visit the e-Sgoil website for details and sign-up information.

Free online French Higher and Advanced Higher workshops funded by the Franco-Scottish Society starting at the end of September

1 September 2022 (Edinburgh College)

In collaboration with Franco-Scottish Society, Edinburgh College is again offering free online courses for Higher and Advanced Higher French pupils commencing September 2022.

See the relevant flyer below for full details:

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, Scotland, Language Learning, National Qualifications, News from language & education organisations

Languages at University of Edinburgh

30 August 2022 (University of Edinburgh)

The Centre for Open Learning at the University of Edinburgh offers a diverse range of language learning options for adult learners. Follow the relevant link below for more information:

Short courses - available in Arabic, British Sign Language, Chinese, French, Gaelic, German, Italian, Japanese, Modern Greek, Portuguese, Spanish, Swahili, and Turkish
Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) - learners of the Japanese language can sit the internationally recognised qualification at the University of Edinburgh
Open languages - a wide range of language courses open to all undergraduate and postgraduate students at the University of Edinburgh
Access Programme - a part-time programme for adult returners enabling successful participants to progress to studying a language degree

Details of the above courses can also be found on the Beyond School pages of the SCILT website.

Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival: Schools programme

26 August 2022 (ESFF)

The Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival (ESFF) is back with its 9th edition, and we want you all to get involved! We are once again providing our Schools Programme for students learning Spanish as a second language. We are really excited about the two films we are offering this year at our in-person screenings.

To take part in these exciting screenings, all the information you need is in the attached document.

Related Files

ESFF letter to schools 22 (913 KB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

MTOT is back for 2022-23!

26 August 2022 (SCILT)

SCILT is delighted to announce the return of Mother Tongue Other Tongue, our multilingual poetry competition!

MTOT gives young people of all ages P1 – S6 the opportunity to showcase their language skills and creative talent. Over the years this competition has uncovered a wealth of talented young linguists: they have created songs, rhymes and poems that are unique, funny, clever, emotive and moving. Young people are asked to create an original poem/song/rap in a language other than English: this can be a language spoken at home, or a language they are learning at school. To enter, the poem should be recorded (audio or video) and sent to us along with a completed entry form.

Winning entries will receive a range of prizes, including the opportunity to have their poem included in the UK National Children’s Poetry Archive, as well as featuring in a dedicated episode of the international Kids Poetry Club podcast. This year we are highlighting the Ukrainian language, with a special prize on offer for entries from Ukrainian speakers.

Schools are invited to register interest by 6 October 2022 (National Poetry Day). Visit the MTOT webpage for more information.

We look forward to seeing another generation of young poets find their voice!

New! Early Years Creative Puppetry Case Study

26 August 2022 (SCILT)

We are beyond delighted to share with you our brand new case study that focuses on language learning in the Early Years! The Early Years Creative Puppetry project, or EYCP as it has become lovingly known, focuses on the work of a professional learning partnership (PLP) that took place during the Spring and Summer terms of 2022. The PLP involved around 40 teachers and early years practitioners from 20 schools and early learning centres across Scotland, alongside Tania Czajka, bilingual author, qualified early years practitioner and Teaching Artist and two Professional Development Officers from SCILT.

The EYCP project highlights how the use of puppet-making and bilingual storybooks can be an effective approach to support language learning at Early Level within a play-based setting. Here we share what the project entailed for educators and children, as well as the impact it has had on all participating partners.

You can access the case study directly on our website.

Access this and other case studies for Professional Learning Partnerships on our dedicated webpage.

Espacios Increíbles 2022-23

26 August 2022 (SCILT)

After the success last session of Espacios Increíbles, our inter-disciplinary learning competition combining Spanish and design, we're delighted to announce Espacios Increíbles 2022-23 is back! After last year’s hotly contested final, we know our previous competitors are keen to take part again this year and try to claim the Espacios Increíbles crown from Kinross High School but we’d like to up the stakes even more and get more schools involved. Any school from across Scotland can take part in this national competition, aimed at S2 and S3 learners of Spanish.

The Espacios Increíbles webpage has been updated with information on previous events and winners along with videos featuring some of our guest speakers at the final. Take a look to see what they had to say about their languages experience, find out more about this year's competition and register your interest in taking part.

New push to help Gaelic and Scots languages ‘thrive and grow’

24 August 2022 (TES)

A new consultation aimed at ensuring the long-term growth of the Gaelic and Scots languages has been launched today by the Scottish government.

The consultation seeks views on how to raise the profile of Scots, a new strategic approach to Gaelic-medium education (GME) and the growth of areas with a high percentage of Gaelic speakers. The consultation also covers the structure and function of Bòrd na Gàidhlig, the principal public body promoting Gaelic in Scotland.

The feedback received through the consultation will help to develop the forthcoming Scottish Languages Bill. The SNP promised in its 2021 Scottish Parliament election manifesto to bring forward “a new Scottish languages Bill which takes further steps to support Gaelic, acts on the Scots language and recognises that Scotland is a multilingual society”.

(Note - subscription required to access full article).

Our World 2022-23

23 August 2022 (SEET)

Our World, the languages and citizenship based filmmaking project for secondary school pupils, is now open for registration!

SEET staff are now offering a CLPL session for teachers to help them feel more confident in taking on Our World with their class. They also offer online school visits for schools who are interested in taking part. These are aimed at pupils participating in the project.

Visit the Our World website for full details.

French courses in Glasgow

23 August 2022 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow is now enrolling for the new academic year 2022-23.

There are courses for adults and children at all levels along with exam support classes for secondary schools pupils who will be sitting their National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher French exams.

Classes commence from 12 September 2022. Visit the website for further information.

Scots and Gaelic languages should be preserved just like Scotland's wildcats and crossbills

20 August 2022 (The Scotsman)

In August 2002 Itchy Coo, an imprint dedicated to publishing books in Scots for young readers, launched its first four titles at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.

Twenty years on, Itchy Coo has produced more than 80 titles, ranging from board books to graphic novels and collections of poems, fables, fairy tales and stories. The list includes many translations of works by the likes of Julia Donaldson, JK Rowling, Roald Dahl and Jeff Kinney.

As one of Itchy Coo’s founders as well as an editor and contributing author, I am of course pleased by the continuing success of the project. Not only has it put thousands of braw books into the hands of bairns, their families and their teachers, it has also challenged some deep-rooted negative perceptions of Scots, both within the education system and more generally across society.

This does not mean that the negativity − equating Scots with ‘slang’ or ‘bad English’, for example, or the vilification of individual writers or performers simply for using Scots − has entirely disappeared; nor does it mean that the loss of Scots vocabulary and idiom has not been substantial in many areas. Nevertheless, there are reasons to be hopeful.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press, Scots

Survey for complementary and Saturday school teachers

19 August 2022 (SCILT/Bilingualism Matters)

Bilingualism Matters and SCILT, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages, are opening up opportunities for professional learning and networking for teachers in complementary and Saturday schools throughout Scotland.

flyer promoting professional learning opportunity for language teachers in Scotland's complementary and Saturday schools

Posted in: All Languages, Scotland, CPD, Language Teaching, Teacher Education, SCILT news

Online language NQ courses and workshops for school pupils

18 August 2022 (Edinburgh College)

School pupils who find their chosen language qualification is not offered in their school can study their NQ language course online for free with Edinburgh College.

In collaboration with Franco-Scottish Society, the college is again offering free online courses for Higher and Advanced Higher French pupils commencing September 2022.

See the attached flyers for full details. Links are also available on the Beyond School Supporting Schools section of the SCILT website.

Related Files

Ed College Flyer Online Learning Modern Languages 2022-23 (205 KB)
Form French workshops Higher 22-23-2 (190 KB)
Form French workshops Advanced Higher 22-23-2 (190 KB)

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, National Qualifications, News from language & education organisations

National e-Learning Offer for Gaelic (Learners)

18 August 2022 (Education Scotland)

e-Sgoil, in partnership with UHI Outer Hebrides, is offering N5 and Higher e-Learning for Gaelic (Learners). This flexible route into Gaelic Learning may be of interest to senior phase learners, in particular those in S6 with an interest in languages, culture or music. Further information can be found in the flyer below and by visiting e-Sgoil's website.

Flyer showing details of the N5 and Higher Gaelic e-learning sessions offered by eSgoil

SQA results: huge drop in students studying higher languages and sciences

9 August 2022 (News Headlines UK)

The number of pupils studying modern languages, science and maths at higher level has fallen significantly, figures released by the Scottish Qualifications Authority show.

Only 505 students took higher German in 2022, compared to 780 students in 2020, while the number of students taking French and Spanish at higher level also fell significantly.

Around 3,165 students took Higher Level French in 2020, a number that dropped to 2,500 this year. A total of 2,900 students took Higher Level Spanish in 2020, a drop to 2,465 this year.

The reasons for the sharp drop in the number of students studying modern languages at higher level are not clear, but the question of the affordability of language teaching in schools has been addressed by Holyrood’s inquiry education committee before the pandemic.

Crown Care group learn Italian

7 August 2022 (Greenock Telegraph)

Crown Care Centre clients and staff celebrated in style as they finished off a ten-week course of language learning.

A celebratory bash was held at the King Street centre following the conclusion of an Italian language course, which explored the country's food, culture and geography.

The programme was delivered by Glasgow-based Lingo Flamingo, which provide foreign language workshops for vulnerable adults across Scotland.

Posted in: Italian, Scotland, Language Learning - Adults, Languages in the press

Centenary celebration of poet who wrote in three languages

19 July 2022 (BBC)

A celebration of the centenary of a poet who wrote in three languages is being held in southern Scotland.

William Neill was born in Ayrshire in 1922 but lived in Dumfries and Galloway for much of his life.

A book of recollections, memories and tributes is being launched in Gatehouse of Fleet as part of the Big Lit festival on Thursday.

Poet Hugh McMillan said Mr Neill was not as well known as he deserved to be on the strength of his work in Scots, Gaelic and English.

Along with fellow poet Stuart Paterson, they have put together the book in his honour entitled The Leaves of the Years.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press, Scots

New research reveals Gaelic speakers' tongue movements

26 July 2022 (BBC)

Ultrasound recordings have been made of people speaking Gaelic to reveal how the tongue moves to produce the language's different sounds.

Gaelic has a large consonant system and some sounds - l, n and r - are each sounded three different ways.

The videos have been made available on a new website, Teangannan na Gàidhlig.

Researchers said the recordings could help people to learn Gaelic, and said they also shed new light on the "mechanics of bilingual speech".

Philip Gerrard: The new, long-awaited Edinburgh festival that will advance deaf culture

22 July 2022 (The Herald)

The Scottish Government wants Scotland to be “the best place for British Sign Language (BSL) users to live, work, learn and visit”.

Since the introduction of the BSL (Scotland) Act 2015, the everyday lives of Scottish deaf people have certainly improved, but there is still work to be done. Edinburgh is a world-renowned festival city, yet to date the access for deaf people to this cultural event has been patchy and unco-ordinated.

As a deaf BSL user, my overriding memory of the Fringe is one of feeling overwhelmed, but wanting to be part of it all. Deaf Action, where I have been CEO since 2017, wants to change this.

We have been a pioneering force at the forefront of the community for nearly 190 years and don’t do things by halves, so just making the festival season accessible with the add-on provision of captions and BSL/English interpreters didn’t feel enough.

Instead, we’ve added an extra dimension to this year’s season – the Edinburgh Deaf Festival, which takes place from 12-19 August 2022; a week of deaf culturally-specific events alongside an accessible festival season.

Posted in: Scotland, Celebrating Languages, Languages in the press, BSL

Youngsters can learns Scots language at Paisley school for the first time

9 July 2022 (Daily Record)

Children from across Renfrewshire will be able to learn their lessons while speaking and writing in Scottish Gaelic at a Paisley school.

For the first time, pupils can benefit from special Gaelic provision, which initially consists of one class at West Primary School, rather than going to a Gaelic school in nearby council areas.

Posted in: Primary, Gaelic, Scotland, Language Learning, Languages in the press

Buckie High kids speak language of success!

4 July 2022 (Northern Scot)

Buckie High's partnership with a major local employer has seen them scoop a prestigious national award.

For the past six years, BCHS has been working closely with Associated Seafoods Ltd (ASL), who export their salmon and other products across the globe. One of the many benefits accruing from the partnership has been the opportunity to use and expand a range of languages.

Most recently, the school and ASL were able to resume the S1 seafood project, which brought together a whole host of skills.

The hard work has brought its own rewards in that shape of a silver Scottish Languages Employability Award.

Scotland’s Young Makars

16 June 2022 (Scottish Book Trust)

Scotland’s Young Makars is a creative writing project for young poets of secondary school age in Scotland. It aims to enable young people to write, understand and engage with poetry in a wide variety of styles and forms.

The project offers free online poetry workshops and mentoring, culminating in six young makars reading their work on stage at Stanza in March 2023.

Visit the Stanza website for more information and to register interest.

University of Strathclyde MEd Education Studies - New languages modules

7 June 2022 (University of Strathclyde)

The School of Education in the University of Strathclyde has developed two new modules as part of the MEd Education Studies course that may be of particular interest to languages practitioners (EYs, primary, secondary MFL, FE, EAL/ESOL, Gaelic).

Multilingual and Multicultural Education: Policy, Theory and Practice (commencing Jan 2023)
Enacting Social Justice and Change in Language Learning and Teaching (commencing April 2023)

Practitioners who have already completed the SCILT professional learning courses (TELT and/or LLP) and have been awarded GTCS professional recognition, are eligible for accreditation of prior learning (20 Masters level credits for each course) towards gaining a full Masters degree. Likewise, teachers who have recently completed an ITE course at the University of Strathclyde may be eligible for further accreditation.

Further information about these modules and the course generally can be found in the attached information document. Details of the full suite of modules are in the attached MEd Education Studies Module Catalogue 2022-23.

Related Files

MEd Education Studies information (139 KB)
MEd Education Studies Module Catalogue 2022-23 (1.40 MB)

Posted in: Early Years, Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, All Languages, Scotland, CPD, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Qualifications, Strathclyde University, Teacher Education, News from language & education organisations

Information webinar for primary teachers in Scotland keen to learn a new language and how to teach it in their classrooms

7 June 2022 (SCILT)

Teachers Learning to Teach Languages, or TeLT for short, is a blended professional learning programme lasting 9 months that is aimed at practitioners who want to develop their practice in teaching languages to primary aged pupils.

Two information webinars for prospective students on the OU/SCILT TeLT programme are scheduled for:

Thursday 16 June, 7pm - 8pm
Tuesday 21 June, 7pm - 8pm

These webinars are open to teachers that teach languages primary schools in Scotland. Register here for your preferred webinar date.

Each 60-minute online event will introduce interested primary teachers to the primary languages programme delivered in collaboration by the Open University and SCILT from October 2022 to June 2023, where teachers can study one of four languages from scratch, learn how to teach it and apply their new skills directly as part of the course.

Participants will learn what the programme has to offer, what is required to succeed in becoming a primary languages teacher and gain professional recognition from the GTCS for the study.

Participants will hear about the impact of the study on attitudes and practice of teachers, pupils and the entire school community from OU and SCILT colleagues and find out how the course enables teachers to collaborate with primary schools across Scotland and Wales through in-programme eTwinning.

In addition, they will learn first-hand about experiences studying the course from former students, in-service primary teachers, who are now working as guest tutors on the programme. The guest tutors will also share how studying this programme has boosted their professional opportunities and employability skills.

Teachers working in other parts of the UK can find the information for the programme in their area on the Open University website.

Posted in: Primary, Scotland, CPD, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Teacher Education, SCILT news

Le Foot et la Francophonie

31 May 2022 (SCILT)

Congratulations to Lourdes Secondary School, winners of SCILT’s inaugural edition of Le Foot et la Francophonie!

Le Foot has generated huge enthusiasm in the four Glasgow schools involved in the pilot project. During the autumn of 2021, teachers of French at Knightswood Secondary School, Lourdes Secondary School, Shawlands Academy and St. Roch’s Secondary School, supported by staff from SCILT, produced some high quality teaching materials based on football and the French-speaking world. To ensure that this project was truly interdisciplinary, all stakeholders collaborated on a guidance document outlining benchmarks, experiences and outcomes from Modern Languages, Physical Education and Health and Wellbeing curricular areas. They were supported in this endeavour by input from Physical Education staff in their respective schools, as well as by Cara Lamb, who leads the PGDE Secondary Physical Education course at the University of Strathclyde.

In January, Le Foot was rolled out in S2 classrooms and on school playing fields. Engagement among pupils who had previously shown limited interest in languages was particularly evident, with one of the teachers involved noting that this was “French disguised as football”! The outstanding resources produced and shared by each school cover the four core skills of reading, listening, talking and writing, encompassing the Francophone world and including strong anti-racism messages. Just as importantly, the 750 pupils who took part learned of the relevance of languages to a range of careers in professional sports – an area in which many have a keen interest.

The competitive final took place at the University of Strathclyde on 12 May. The event involved teams of pupils from each of the schools, together with classmates who came along to support them. On the panel of judges were Cédric Moreau (Subject Leader for French, University of Strathclyde), Lisa Hanna (Depute Director, SCILT), Jordan Allison (Head of Charity, Kilmarnock FC) and Mark Cunningham (final-year student in Spanish and Education, and qualified football coach). After presenting a football-themed video in French, the teams performed football drills, which included commands in French. They then heard video messages from John Collins, Christophe Berra and Ismaila Soro, before the winner’s announcement saw Lourdes Secondary School claim the trophy, together with a visit to Hampden Park, where the winning team will be given a French-focussed tour of the stadium and the Scottish Football Museum.

Watch this space for information on Le Foot et la Francophonie being rolled out nationally in 2022-23, together with further details on how your school can get involved.

Posted in: S1-S3, French, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, SCILT news, Sport

Help with research! Looking for Scottish secondary school language teachers for anti-racism study

9 May 2022 (Bilingualism Matters)

University of Edinburgh PhD candidate Mariel Deluna is investigating teacher perspectives on the relationship between “race”, language, ethnicity, and nationality.

All current Scottish secondary school language teachers are invited to participate in the study.

More information is available on the Bilingualism Matters website.

Just what languages are spoken in the UK? (It's more than English)

8 May 2022 (The Travel)

If one goes to the United Kingdom - what language can one expect people to speak? The easy answer is of course English - and naturally, everyone speaks English there. But there are actually many languages in the British Isles. For the purposes of this article, we will include the British Crown Dependencies of the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands - even though technically they are not part of the UK.

Posted in: French, Gaelic, Scotland, England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Languages in the press, Scots

West Lothian students show they have gift of the gab in language comp

5 May 2022 (Daily Record)

Three high school students from Linlithgow Academy were declared West Lothian’s ‘Languagenut champions’ - awarded by a national language learning resource company.

The language education company, Languagenut, ran the competition regionally in both Glasgow and West Lothian throughout the month of March.

The Languagenut resource is accessible to students via an app or website, and supports young people in learning a modern language.

Contemporary German films

2 May 2022 (Goethe-Institut)

The Goethe-Institut in Glasgow is delighted to be offering screenings of contemporary German films in Glasgow and in Edinburgh in collaboration with the Institut français d'Écosse. Admission is free for both but booking is required. The films are in German with English subtitles. Follow the relevant link below for more information:

Cleo - Institut français, Edinburgh (24 May 2022) - The adventure, coming-of-age comedy explores the title character's desire to be able to turn back time and reverse a past misfortune.
Le Prince - Goethe-Institut, Glasgow (26 May 2022) - A story of romance challenged by cultural differences.

Posted in: German, Scotland, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

Scotland’s Languages Landscape: The ‘Rights’ Approach event, 25 February 2022 - Recordings are now available!

29 April 2022 (SCILT)

We are pleased to announce that event materials are now available to view on our website, including video recordings from Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP, Keynote speaker, Bernardette Holmes MBE, Independent Languages Policy and Pedagogy Consultant and Plenary speaker, Louise Glen, Senior Education Officer at Education Scotland.

Video presentations taken from breakout discussions, including testimonials and speaker biographies are also available to view and will be of interest to the language teaching community and community-based organisations.

The event welcomed language leads, teachers and the wider languages community to share, celebrate and highlight the importance of valuing language skills and ensuring the rights of all children and young people to a language rich curriculum.

Report on 2021 language learning survey of local authorities now published

28 April 2022 (Scottish Government)

The Scottish Government, in partnership with ADES, COSLA and Education Scotland, carried out a survey of local authorities last year to gauge progress to implement the 1+2 languages policy in schools. A full report of the findings from this survey has now been published this week. Among the key findings is that nearly all primary and secondary schools are now delivering language learning throughout the Broad General Education from P1 to S3.

Writing projects and competitions

19 April 2022 (Scottish Book Trust)

The Scottish Book Trust currently has open projects and competitions for aspiring writers! Follow the relevant link below to find out more about each one:

Young Scots Writer of the Year Award - Open to ages 11-18. Writing should be in Scots, whether you write a story, poem, play, song or make a short video.
Your Stories: Scotland's Stories - Category for under-16s as well as adults. Write about real life experiences. Entries can be in any form you like – a story, poem, comic strip, play, video, audio file, or letter. Entries welcome in Gaelic, Scots and English.

Both competitions have deadlines in June 2022.

If you need some inspiration, try some of the creative tasks on the StoryCon webpage. StoryCon is Scotland's biggest creative writing and illustration conference for young people which returned in March this year. Recordings of events are available online for a limited time.

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, Gaelic, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations, Scots

MTOT 2021-22 - Finalist poems now online!

1 April 2022 (SCILT)

We're delighted to announce the entries from all the finalists of this year's Mother Tongue Other Tongue multilingual poetry competition can now be viewed on the SCILT website.

For the first time judges awarded some special commendations for entries which very narrowly missed making the final shortlist and we have some of these also available online.

We hope many of you will be inspired to take part when the 2022-23 edition launches in the Autumn!

CISS NQ Mandarin offer 2022-2023

31 March 2022 (CISS)

CISS is happy to be able to share the first details of our offer of live-streamed Mandarin NQ classes for the upcoming 2022-2023 session. This will allow schools to expand their provision for Mandarin, particularly those who do not have access to a GTCS registered teacher of Mandarin and are therefore unable to offer NQ classes. The details in the attached document will allow these courses to be added to course choice forms. The offer consists of three courses: National 4, National 5, and Higher. The start date is tentatively scheduled for early to mid-June 2022.

Please see the attached document for further information and register your interest by Friday 8 April at this link: https://hass.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dcG8IXkQ4ZLsTf

Related Files

CISS DC NQs 2022 - info (213 KB)

Posted in: Senior Phase, Chinese, Scotland, Language Learning, Language Teaching, National Qualifications, CISS news

French courses from the Institut français

29 March 2022 (Institut français)

Spring term classes for adults will kick start on 19 April with general French classes, Translation club, Workshops, Literary classes and Lunch hour conversation.

Visit the website for full details and enrolment.

French language learning with Alliance Française

29 March 2022 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow offers a range of opportunities to learn about French culture and the French language. Follow the relevant link below for more information on the latest offerings:

Term D French language courses for adults (commencing 19 April)
Virtual Tour – The Palace of Versailles (Wednesday 18 May, 6-7.30pm) - Online event to celebrate the European Night of Museums 2022.

Information about the organisation's other activities can be found on their website.

Employ a Mandarin teacher - funding available

25 March 2022 (SCILT/CISS)

State schools in Scotland can apply for funding to employ a Mandarin teacher. So if you are interested in introducing Mandarin as part of your Modern Languages curriculum and want to find out more join the information session on 28 March, details are on the attached flyer.

Applicants wishing to be considered for our new round of funding for GTCS registered teachers of Mandarin Chinese should complete the short form before 5pm, Monday 16 May 2022.

Related Files

Mandarin teacher funding (5.55 MB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, Chinese, Scotland, Funding, Language Teaching, SCILT news, CISS news

Gaelic Arts: Drama workshops / Bùthan-obrach dràma

25 March 2022 (Glasgow Life)

Would you like to use your Gaelic in a creative way and have a go at script writing, acting, dancing or singing? Would you like to make Gaelic-speaking friends from across Glasgow? Here’s your chance to join a series of fun, informal workshops with drama professionals, for FREE!

From new speakers to fluent speakers, learners to choir singers, our community drama workshops are open to everyone with an interest in the Gaelic language.

Commencing 24 April, the series of workshops will run each Sunday through to 29 May 2022.

Visit the website to find out more and to book.

Join Scotland’s National Languages Leadership Programme Team 2022-23!

25 March 2022 (SCILT/Education Scotland)

Applications are now open for critical friends to support and challenge participants as they progress through the 2022-23 programme.

Description

Scotland's National Languages Leadership Programme supports local authorities by building capacity to achieve a sustainable model for leading language learning and teaching for all.

The critical friend role is suitable for people who:

have experience of the national languages leadership programme i.e. 1+2 Languages Leadership Programme (2017-2022) or the Train the Trainer Programme (2014-2016), or
are experienced in supporting teacher professional learning either online or face-to-face, preferably at Masters level, and
wish to help build the languages leadership capacity in all sectors of Scottish education

As an online programme, Scotland’s National Languages Leadership Programme offers participants the opportunity to engage with the most up-to-date information from Education Scotland and other agencies involved in the delivery of Scotland’s languages policy. The programme provides participants with professional learning and networking opportunities as well as flexible and personalised pathways through Masters level professional learning.

Objectives of the programme are for participants to develop:

an appreciation of leadership skills
critical and strategic reflection on their own leadership development
an understanding of a range of key issues related to Scotland’s Languages policy

Professional learning and support will be offered to critical friends throughout the year.

For more information, visit the registration page to find out how you can apply to join the LLP team as a critical friend by Tuesday 17 May. A Glow account is required to take part.

If you have any questions about applying for this role, please email scilt@strath.ac.uk and include ‘LLP Critical Friend’ in the subject line.

Related Files

Critical Friends 2022-23 (3.37 MB)
LLP Participants 2022-23 (3.48 MB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, All Languages, Scotland, CPD, Language Teaching, Teacher Education, SCILT news

Online language NQ courses for school pupils with Edinburgh College

25 March 2022 (Edinburgh College)

Edinburgh College offers a range of online NQ language courses. These can be accessed across Scotland and all Scottish school pupils qualify for a full fee waiver. The courses provide a great option for pupils whose schools may not currently offer the language course on their curriculum.

The following options are available, with German and Italian new additions this year at Advanced Higher level:

Advanced Higher and Higher: French, German, Italian and Spanish
National 5: French, German and Spanish

Exam arrangements: Though enrolled with Edinburgh College, pupils still sit their exams at their own school (including the Adv Higher speaking exam).

See the attached flyer for more information and how to enrol.

Related Files

Edinburgh College Flyer - Online Learning Modern Languages 2022-23 (205 KB)

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, National Qualifications, News from language & education organisations

Spanish film screenings

24 March 2022 (CinemaAttic)

CinemaAttic is an organisation dedicated to showcasing independent Ibero-American cinema in Scotland with regular events throughout the year in Edinburgh, Glasgow and beyond.

We are increasing our efforts to make our programming accessible and relevant to as wide an audience as possible. Follow the relevant link below to find out more about the screenings taking place in the next week:

Mighty Flash (Edinburgh Film House, 26 March 2022) - Destello Bravío is a mysterious, dark and suggestive story; far removed from traditional narrative approaches. It is a fictional work that draws from the documentary and codes of suspense, with notes of magical realism and surrealism. It deconstructs film genres, breaks away from the traditional tale and peeks into different everyday lives to describe a state of mind: the sentiment of inhabitants in a place in process of depopulation, focusing on its women. The film also broaches the search for beauty and the longing for childhood. In the background, and as the main cause of evil, the patriarchal system and the arrival of globalisation.
Jordi's Letters (Glasgow Film Theatre, 31 March 2022) - the documentary about cerebral palsy is a poignant human story about illness, faith and the power of friendship.

Posted in: Spanish, Scotland, News from language & education organisations

Scotland's National Languages Leadership Programme 2022-23 - Submit your application now!

24 March 2022 (SCILT/Education Scotland)

Scotland's National Languages Leadership Programme supports local authorities by building capacity to achieve a sustainable model for leading language learning and teaching for all. Open to colleagues with 5 years' experience post probation or equivalent, who are interested in developing approaches to language learning and in implementing change in their own contexts, this might include: classroom teachers, principal teachers, heads of department, heads of faculty or languages lead practitioners.

This online programme is free of charge to state schools and offers participants the opportunity to engage with the most up-to-date information from Education Scotland and other agencies involved in the delivery of Scotland’s languages policy.

SCILT hosted an online information session on Tuesday 22 March. A recording of the session is now available to find out more about the programme and hear experiences of current participants.

Participants can visit the website for more information and to submit their application. Deadline date to submit applications is Monday 25 April.

Related Files

LLP Participants 2022-23 (3.48 MB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, All Languages, Scotland, CPD, Language Teaching, Teacher Education, SCILT news

Sharp rise in tourists interested in exploring the Gaelic language

21 March 2022 (The Herald)

When it comes to Scottish tourism, castles, lochs, wildlife and whisky are usually touted as the main attractions.

But over the last few years interest has been growing in a different aspect of the country’s culture – the Gaelic language.

VisitScotland has seen a 72 per cent rise in website visitors seeking out Gaelic content over the last four years, with a particular peak during the 2020 lockdown.

And now the language is being viewed as an important part of the sector’s future as it looks to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.

This week sees the country celebrate the first ever World Gaelic Week (Seachdain na Gàidhlig), with VisitScotland using the event to highlight the significant role the language plays in tourism and events.

Community Campfires project to spark new stories

18 March 2022 (Scottish Book Trust)

Scottish Book Trust, the national charity changing lives through reading and writing, has today launched their Community Campfires residencies project. It marks the 14th year of Scottish Book Trust's annual Your Stories campaign and four intensive story making residencies will take place in communities across Scotland via the Story Wagon. The residencies are supported by EventScotland as part of Scotland's Year of Stories 2022.

The Story Wagon will tour: Garnock Valley, North Ayrshire; Greenock, Inverclyde; Lochgelly, Fife and the Western Isles, gathering real life stories from the public. Luke Winter, Navigation Officer of the Story Wagon, will be joined by a team of digital storytellers, filmmakers and podcasters producing content in English and Gaelic.

Visit the website for more information and tour dates from April to June 2022.

Registration now open for OU/SCILT TeLT programme

18 March 2022 (SCILT/OU)

TeLT is the Teachers Learning to Teach Languages programme offered by the Open University in partnership with SCILT, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages. This professional learning opportunity is aimed at educators working in the primary sector and carries GTCS Professional Recognition.

Students learn a language – French, German, Mandarin or Spanish - and in parallel, get to put primary language pedagogies into practice with their own pupils. The programme is offered at two levels – beginners and post-beginners. More information here about how the course works.

Registration for 2022-23 intake is now open. Enrolment closes 8 September. Modules begin in October. More details here on how to register.

Information sessions for local authority officers and prospective applicants will take place in May and June. Dates are to be confirmed.

March Bitesize: Learning for Sustainability / IDL (Primary)

17 March 2022 (SCILT)

SCILT monthly drop-ins are free, themed virtual events that are open to teachers and student teachers working in Scotland.

In March, the Bitesize session focuses on the primary school and explores how language learning can be in incorporated into a Learning for Sustainability (LfS) context. We will hear how schools have been exploring the Global Goals in addition to key environmental issues such as plastic pollution and the place of languages within this.

Come and join us for a drop-in session to listen and discuss on Wednesday 30 March 2022, 4:00 - 4:45pm on Zoom.

Visit our Bitesize webpage for more information and to register.

SQA update to Advanced Higher Modern Languages revision support

14 March 2022 (SQA)

The SQA has published updated revision support notes for learners of Advanced Higher modern languages.

Visit the SQA Advanced Higher Modern Languages webpage. Updated documents can be found in the 2022 revision support for learners dropdown section.

Gaelic books dumped in skip in Oban prompts probe

8 March 2022 (BBC)

A large number of Gaelic language books have been found dumped in a skip in Oban.

Argyll and Bute Council is investigating why the books were thrown out near a building used by its education department.

Some of the books, which included children's literature and educational material, were new and still in their wrapping.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press

How to Talk About Migrations? A competition for primary and secondary Scottish schools

4 March 2022 (Migration in Education)

We invite pupils and teachers to participate in this exciting competition that explores how we teach and learn about migration — creatively and with empathy. We live in a world that sees many people on the move, and our pupils may have been part of these experiences themselves. In schools, migration may make the topic of creative projects and classroom activities — a unique opportunity for pupils to learn from each other and about each other.

Through this competition, we want to bring forward the best and most creative ideas on teaching and learning about migrations in Scottish schools. We would like to hear about your teaching activities/practices and/or activities that may enable conversations about migration in schools – from language learning, literature, history, to personal experiences. The competition aims to acknowledge and make visible the cultural and linguistic diversity of Scottish primary and secondary schools. The purpose of this competition is to explore how to raise awareness and learn about migration, and move conversations beyond narrow and often negative stereotypes. We advocate and understand migration as a multifaceted and omnipresent fact of life, and hope that the submissions for this competition will reflect this vision.

Visit the competition webpage for more information and submit entries by 25 April 2022.

Alistair Heather: This census is our chance to make Scots language count

3 March 2022 (The Courier)

It’s census season! And I for one couldnae be happier.

I dinnae think I’ve every actually filled ane o these before.

In 2011 I was out the country, and in 2001 I was but a callow youth, so the census task would have been Mammy Heather’s job. So it’s a thrill to finally participate.

And I actually had a totty wee role in putting this census thegither.

In a previous job, I worked to promote Scots language and culture north of the Tay.

I was called into meetings in Aberdeen with the group charged with putting together the language part of the census.

There were perhaps a dozen of us.

The census folk all came up fae the central belt, and brought in myself (at the time I was working for Aberdeen University) and several others interested in the Scots language.

They had nae idea of the culture, language, tensions around Scots, the nuances of different dialects, none of that.

None of them were Scots speakers. But they were really curious, and open to learning.

Posted in: Scotland, Research, Languages in the press, Scots

Scotland's Census 2022 - Scots questions

1 March 2022 (Aye Can)

As part of Scotland's Census 2022 everyone living in Scotland will be asked if they can understand Scots, speak Scots, read Scots and write Scots. We will also be asked what our main language is.

This website is designed to help you assess your knowledge of Scots and answer these questions.

Paisley primary celebrates different pupils' cultures as part of poetry project

26 February 2022 (Daily Record)

Youngsters at a Paisley Primary school have been celebrating the many different cultures of pupils by taking part in a top poetry competition which celebrates different languages from across the globe.

Three pupils from West Primary were selected for the final of the Mother Tongue Other Tongue competition, which encourages children to share their experiences of their families culture and traditions in their families.

Sabina Rodrigues De La Rosa, Tanazzal Shah and Sabihah Tubasem were picked by judges for their poems written about their home countries which the school used to help teach their classmates about the variety of cultures within the school.

Mandarin for BGE

25 February 2022 (CISS)

Do you want to include Mandarin in your school's curriculum but don't currently have the resources?

CISS is offering 10-week blocks of live-streamed language and culture classes commencing September 2022. Two courses are available, one for Primary learners, the other for S1-S3. To find out more about each, follow the relevant link:

Register interest by 18 March 2022.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Chinese, Scotland, Language Learning, Language Teaching, CISS news

Royal Zoological Society of Scotland programmes for schools

22 February 2022 (RZSS)

The RZSS offers a variety of activities for schools. Bookings are now open for the following programmes:

Beyond the Panda

A 5-week progressive programme for P4-P7. Four weeks live virtual sessions and 5^th week in person outreach. Bookings open now for sessions starting in August 2022. Over the 5 weeks pupils will learn about various Chinese animals, threats, solutions, some Chinese culture while also learning about the Mandarin language and Chinese characters. Key objectives are in the attached pdf.

Giants

This new live virtual session looks at two very different animals from two very different areas of the world and at two very different languages. The giant anteater from South America and the giant panda from China. The session will introduce some basic vocabulary in both Spanish and Mandarin and will be aimed at upper primary level. Suitable for any class already studying Spanish or Mandarin or both. Bookings open now for a limited number of sessions starting April 2022.

Further information for both programmes at beyondthepanda.org.uk

Related Files

Beyond the Panda - 5 week programme P4-P7 (244 KB)

Posted in: Primary, Chinese, Spanish, Scotland, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources, News from language & education organisations

MTOT 2021-22 - Winners announced!

21 February 2022 (SCILT)

Our awards event to announce the winning entries from this year's Mother Tongue Other Tongue competition was held online today, to coincide with International Mother Language Day. It was a great celebration of the languages being spoken and learned in Scotland and we're delighted to announce the winners and highly commended runners-up in each category as follows:

Mother Tongue	Award	Pupil	School	Language
P1-P4	Winner	Simon Cronje	Netherlee PS	Afrikaans
P1-P4	Highly commended	Fabian Choromanski	Gallowhill PS	Polish
P5-P7	Winner	Sabihah Tubasem	West Primary	Urdu
	Highly commended	Lovelyn Asare	St Catherine’s PS	Italian
	Highly commended	Sabina Rodrigues da Rosa	West Primary	Brazilian Portuguese
	Highly commended	Tanazzal Shah	West Primary	Urdu
	Highly commended	Zamin Amjad Sheikh	Netherlee PS	Urdu
S1-S3	Winner	Melice Monga Lubengi	Lourdes Secondary	French
	Highly commended	Marcel Zuk & Oskar Kolodziej	St Thomas of Aquin’s	Polish
	Highly commended	Helen Joseph	Lourdes Secondary	Malaylam
	Highly commended	Sarah Alradi	Craigmount High	Arabic
S4-S6	Winner	Regina Wyllie	Loudoun Academy	Bulgarian
	Highly commended	Camran Kouhy	Madras College	Farsi
	Highly commended	Wiktoria Sapko	St Andrew’s Secondary	Polish
Other Tongue	Award	Pupil	School	Language
P1-P4	Winner	Hayley Cowe	Westhill PS	Doric
P1-P4	Highly commended	P2 Class	Newcraighall PS	Spanish
P5-P7	Winner	Lucia Conetta	Glasgow Academy	French
P5-P7	Highly commended	Malaika Ali	Golfhill PS	Urdu
S1-S3	Winner	Grace Ross	Madras College	French
	Highly commended	Deepak Kumaar	Craigmount High	French & German
	Highly commended	Caitlin Fraser	Arran High	French
S4-S6	Winner	Brooklynn Faichnie	Aboyne Academy	French, Spanish & Italian
	Highly commended	Iona Kellas	Aboyne Academy	Latin
	Highly commended	Charlotte Reynolds	Aboyne Academy	Russian

All pupils will receive a certificate and book token. Winning entrants will also receive a trophy as well as the opportunity for their poems to feature in The Children's Poetry Archive and Kids Poetry Club podcast. We will be in contact with schools shortly about taking these extra special opportunities forward. This year also saw a special award sponsored by the Dictionaries of the Scots Language for entries in Scots, which was awarded to Hayley Cowe, our P1-P4 Other Tongue winner!

It is our intention to host each of these poems on the SCILT website and we'll announce when these are available.

Congratulations again to all our finalists!

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, All Languages, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Community Languages, Language Learning, Minority Languages, Mother Tongue, SCILT news

Easter study webinars - Call for language specialists

17 February 2022 (e-Sgoil)

As part of the National e-Learning Offer, e-Sgoil will be providing an Easter Study programme of webinars for over seventy courses. e-Sgoil is currently looking to recruit language specialists to deliver webinars on 7, 11 and 13 April. If you would like to contribute, or for further details, please contact Simon Hall, Depute Head Teacher at e-Sgoil, on simon.hall@glow.orkneyschools.org.uk. Learner registration for Easter Study webinars goes live on 28 February.

Posted in: All Languages, Scotland, Language Teaching, News from language & education organisations

Seachdain na Gàidhlig - 21-27 March

17 February 2022 (Seachdain na Gàidhlig)

‘Seachdain na Gàidhlig’, is the first official nationwide language and culture week to be held in Scotland, from 21-27 March 2022.

The week promotes Gaelic to all, both at official events and community initiatives, such as Irish Language Week in Ireland and Gaelic Awareness Month in Nova Scotia. It will enable Gaelic speakers and non-speakers to participate in a variety of ways that suit them; both in Scotland and abroad.

Visit the website for more information or see the flyer for ways to get involved.

German conversation course for secondary teachers

14 February 2022 (Goethe-Institut)

Are you a secondary German teacher in a school in Scotland? Would you like to practice speaking and keep up to date on current topics in German-speaking countries?

Then this conversation course is for you. We discuss a wide range of topics including current newspaper articles, radio programs and video clips from German television. You will be able to take away up-to-date materials and hopefully inspiration and many good ideas for your lessons.

The course also offers the opportunity for German teachers to network and exchange best practice examples.

Register by 7 March 2022 for the free online course.

SQA update to Advanced Higher Modern Languages visiting assessing

14 February 2022 (SQA)

Advanced Higher Modern Languages performance-talking visiting assessment guidance for centres has just been published.

Visit the SQA Advanced Higher Modern Languages page, Visiting Examining section for more information.

Bòrd na Gàidhlig provides new resource for career in Gaelic teaching

8 February 2022 (The Herald)

At this time of year, we often think about changing careers so you may find Bòrd na Gàidhlig's new resource useful if you are considering a new career in teaching through the medium of Gaelic.

Following on from the commitments in the National Gaelic Language Plan 2018-23 to recruit, retain and educate Gaelic teachers and to advertise Gaelic teaching as a career, Bòrd na Gàidhlig has created a new resource called a padlet. The padlet complements the existing General Teaching Council for Scotland's leaflet ‘So you want to teach in Gaelic?’.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, CPD, Language Teaching, Teacher Education, Languages in the press

10th Anniversary Gift Design Competition

8 February 2022 (CISS)

The Confucius Institute for Scotland’s Schools (CISS) will be celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2022. To celebrate this milestone CISS is launching an interdisciplinary competition for secondary students across the nation to showcase their business, design and language skills.

We have set two categories which students can choose from and encourage school departments - be that business, design technology or languages - to support and encourage interested students as they develop their pitch.

See the attached flyer and visit the competition webpage for more information. Submit entries by 27 May 2022.

Related Files

CISS Gift Design Competition 2022 Poster (1.48 MB)

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, Chinese, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, CISS news

By the numbers: languages uptake in Scotland

4 February 2022 (TES)

The Scottish government's policy is that children should start learning their first additional language when they start school in P1 and then start learning another language from P5. The government says "language learning is an entitlement for all from P1 to S3".

This is known as the 1+2 languages policy, since the expectation is that pupils will learn two languages, as well as their mother tongue.

But to what extent is this long-established policy - which the government originally pledged to fully implement by the beginning of this school year (August 2021) - a reality in Scottish schools?

To mark Languages Week Scotland 2022, we take a look at the data.

February Bitesize: Gathering Evidence in Secondary

3 February 2022 (SCILT)

SCILT monthly drop-ins are free, themed virtual events that are open to teachers and student teachers working in Scotland. Drop-ins are an opportunity to share your thoughts on that month’s bitesize resource and/or share your own experience on the theme.

In February 2022, we’re looking at how we can gather evidence to support our judgments about learner progress. We will be joined by Lisa Waygood, Faculty Head of Ancient and Modern Languages at St Columba’s School in Kilmacolm. Come along on 23 February and share your experiences of evidence gathering in your context. What works well? Or not?

Visit our Bitesize webpage to find out more and to register for the event.

Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland - French Essay Prize 2022 - Register your interest now!

28 January 2022 (SCILT/Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland)

Following on from the inaugural French essay competition in 2021, the Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland wish again to award an essay prize in 2022 to commemorate the long life and work of Madame Jacqueline Munro-Lafon and her service to the Franco-Scottish Community.

This competition is aimed at Advanced Higher learners of French. This year, we would like you to reflect on the changes that you would like to see happen within your lifetime. All essay submissions must present a reflection on society in France and Scotland.

The winning entry will be awarded a prize of £500, and their essay will also be published in the annual Bulletin of the Franco-Scottish Society. Two runner-up prizes of £100 will be awarded by SCILT.

A maximum of three entries can be submitted from each school. Register your interest for your school to get involved by 5pm on 25 February.

Visit the Eventbrite webpage for further information and how to register.

Glasgow Film Festival 2022

27 January 2022 (Glasgow Film Festival)

Taking place 2-13 March 2022, the Glasgow Film Festival offers a wide-ranging programme that celebrates every corner of world cinema and provides a fantastic showcase for the best of Scottish film. This year's Festival also includes African Stories, a special strand celebrating the rich diversity of life in countries across Africa.

Visit the GFF website for full programme details. There's a great range of foreign language films to choose from!

Calling all P6 teachers!

27 January 2022 (SEET)

Have you signed up to take part in SEET's Euroquiz this year? There may still be time to register your team. Please visit our website or email jane@seet.org.uk for more information.

About Euroquiz

Euroquiz is an annual project open to all P6 pupils across Scotland, which sees teams of four working together to broaden their knowledge of Europe and the wider world. Subjects covered include languages, history, geography, sport, culture and European affairs. Heats take place in local authorities from February to April, with the winning teams from all areas progressing to the National Euroquiz Final held in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament in June.

Scottish Education Awards 2022

20 January 2022 (Scottish Education Awards)

The Scottish Education Awards celebrate the hard work and success which takes place in Scottish education.

The annual event recognises those who dedicate their lives to children and young people and showcases the valuable work and innovation in Scottish classrooms.

Nominations in each of the award categories, which includes the Gaelic Education Award, are now invited.

Visit the Scottish Education Awards website for more information and submit nominees by 23 February 2022.

Scottish Gaelic supporters are trying to reverse the rapid decline of the language

27 December 2021 (Eminetra/FT)

When John Finlayson was growing, almost everyone in his community on Skye was fluent in Gaelic. Despite decades of official support for what was once the dominant language in most of Scotland’s highlands and islands, Finlayson is now the only neighbour of the island family’s croft that speaks it.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Language Learning - Decline, Languages in the press

CISS Chinese New Year Poster Competition 2022

17 December 2021 (CISS)

Chinese New Year poster competition image

The Confucius Institute for Scotland’s Schools has announced a competition to celebrate the forthcoming year of the tiger! The competition is open to all primary schools in Scotland and the winner will be selected by CISS staff.

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT AN ENTRY - entries submitted by email will not be accepted.

Deadline for entries: Friday 21 January 2022.

DETAILS:

Design a poster to celebrate the Year of the Tiger!

Make sure to include the tiger in some way.
Include what you know or have learnt about Chinese language and culture.
Entries can be handmade (a high quality photo or scan of entry) or designed on the computer/tablet etc.

The winning entry will receive a prize and be featured online, and the poster will be used as the CISS Chinese New Year e-card!

Posted in: Primary, Chinese, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, CISS news

CISS Winter 2021 Newsletter

17 December 2021 (CISS)

The Confucius Institute for Scotland’s Schools is delighted to publish the brand new Winter 2021 Newsletter, featuring news and updates from CISS projects, Confucius Classroom Hubs, Chinese Exchange Teachers and more updates on Mandarin learning across Scotland.

Words for the World winning entries published!

17 December 2021 (SCILT)

Congratulations again to everyone who took part in our recent Words for the World competition.

Following our recent awards ceremony, and the announcement of the winners’ names, we are now delighted to be able to publish the winning, highly commended and remaining finalist entries in each category. We are sure that you will agree that the linguistic diversity, creativity and passion that they all show is both impressive and inspiring.

Mind Games: Cracking Code in Maths and Languages

20 January 2022 (SCILT)

Two mind-bending workshops are scheduled for in-service and student teachers during Languages Week Scotland 2022.

We are aware that Mathematics underpins all STEM subjects, but have you ever thought there are connections between learning mathematics and learning a language?

Join mathematicians and linguists from the University of Edinburgh to explore the topic further.

During the interactive workshops you will have a go at some puzzles and activities at the interface between Mathematics and Linguistics. Together we will explore how language works and where Maths comes into play.

You will have a chance to discuss with Mathematicians and Linguists about similarities between their subjects. You will takeaway practical ideas for your classroom to show how these different disciplines can be interconnected.

The activities we are going to use are mainly aimed at children older than 10 years. However, the approach can be applied to all year groups.

Attendance is free of charge and the event will be hosted online on Zoom.

More information and registration for the appropriate workshop via the links below:

Workshop 1 – In-service teachers - Tuesday 1 February 2022
Workshop 2 - Student teachers - Thursday 3 February 2022 - *EVENT POSTPONED* - it is anticipated this event will be rescheduled later in the year.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, All Languages, Scotland, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Teacher Education, SCILT news, STEM, LWS

The Language Ambassadors

14 December 2021 (University of Strathclyde/SCILT)

The Language Ambassadors are back……and they have gone VIRTUAL!

Get your learners involved to discover the joys of learning and being able to use another language by organising a Virtual Language Ambassadors visit to your school!

Our Language Ambassadors are students of French, Italian or Spanish, on various degrees, including BA Honours in French and Spanish, International Business and a Modern Language, Law and a Language but also Engineering and Science degrees.

This programme is free of charge and provides student role models to promote languages to young people and encourage your learners to choose languages as part of their high school curriculum.

We can deliver a range of activities online, such as:

A virtual presentation about their experiences as university language learners and their experiences abroad;
Q&A sessions about the benefits of studying a language;
A small group discussion for Senior phase students who have already selected a language;
Micro-presentations as part of a school-wide event

Visit our website to find out more, and how to book a virtual visit for your school!

If you have any questions about The Language Ambassadors programme, please contact Cédric Moreau.

Careers toolkit launched

3 December 2021 (SCILT)

SCILT launched our latest toolkit at two events this week, one for young people and one for parents/carers/teachers. The toolkit and events are part of our three-year Generation Global project, which seeks to address the gap in intercultural and language skills that we have in this country.

In the preceding two years of the project, we have published toolkits to support business leaders and careers advisers/school managers. This latest toolkit 'Making your future brighter with languages' is designed to give young people, parents and carers information, ideas and advice about learning languages; why it is important and how to go about it. As well as this, the toolkit includes a series of short video clips of young professionals talking about the relevance and value of languages and intercultural skills in their career areas. All of this aims to support the young people who are our ‘Generation Global’, our dual-competency workforce of the future.

The launch events this week were recorded, and recordings will be available on our website shortly.

Access the toolkit

Oral revision courses 2022

30 November 2021 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow is running online Revision Courses in February for pupils who are due to sit their Higher and Advanced Higher oral examinations in 2022.

Visit their website for more information and to book.

New resources to support bilingualism

30 November 2021 (Twinkl/SCILT/Bilingualism Matters)

What does it mean to be bilingual? Bilingualism is knowing more than one language and the way it affects us is far from simple! Find out all about the different ways we can be bilingual, the effects of bilingualism and some of the benefits to us all with our amazing resources developed for use at First Level alongside the experts at Bilingualism Matters, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages, and our teacher team here at Twinkl. The resources are available in English and Gaelic for use in GME contexts and are an ideal way to start celebrating the linguistic landscape in your school.

SNP conference: British Sign Language qualification needed

27 November 2021 (The National)

A qualification for British Sign Language (BSL) should be introduced into the Scottish curriculum, SNP delegates agreed.

More children should be taught BSL in primary and secondary schools as well as promoting the job as a BSL interpreter as a career pathway could help plug the current gaps.

Brian Ferguson, South Lanarkshire councillor, was the first deaf BSL user elected to a council in Scotland.

He told delegates, through BSL, that despite there being an estimated 6000 deaf BSL users in Scotland who need interpreting services, there are only around 50 to 60 interpreters.

This means there is one interpreter for every 109 deaf BSL users.

Posted in: Scotland, National Qualifications, Languages in the press, BSL

Words for the World competition winners!

26 November 2021 (SCILT)

Congratulations to everyone who took part in our Words for the World competition.

The standard of entries was incredibly high, with a wide range of formats submitted and an array of languages. We can be proud of the linguistic diversity we have here in Scotland and the creativity and passion our young people demonstrated for protecting our planet, our humanity and creating a brighter future for us all. We were truly humbled and inspired by their work.

Judging proved exceptionally difficult, but we were delighted to announce the winning entries at an online awards event last week. Well done again to the following who were successful in their respective categories and thank you to every pupil who participated in the competition.

P1-P4

Winner - Leena Valluri, Goodlyburn Primary
Highly commended - The Glasgow Academy Newlands & Milngavie class entry

P5-P7

Winner - Zofia Zajac, St Patrick's Primary
Highly commended - Sophie McGrath, St Vincent's Primary
Highly commended - Tristan Naylor, Hyndland Primary

S1-S3

Winner - Oriana Strahan, Largs Academy
Highly commended - Deepak Krisna Kummar, Craigmount High

S4-S6

Winner - Daniel Smith, Alva Academy
Highly commended - Aiman Mohammad, Renfrew High

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, All Languages, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Citizenship, Language Learning, SCILT news

Young Scots Writer o the Year Award 2022

23 November 2021 (Scottish Book Trust)

We’re on the lookout for talented young folk aged 11–18 writing and creating in Scots.

Are you a Scots writer with stories to share? Or a teacher working with young writers we should know about? Enter the Young Scots Writer o the Year Award.

We’re looking for stories, poems, spoken word pieces, comics, videos or other pieces of writing – we want to see it all, as long as it’s in Scots and under 1000 words or five minutes.

Visit the Scottish Book Trust website for more information. Submissions accepted until 24 June 2022.

Learning Languages by Distance Learning at the University of Dundee

23 November 2021 (University of Dundee)

At the University of Dundee, we have a long-established tradition of language teaching, both with students at the University and via distance learning. We offer the opportunity of learning languages at various levels via Distance learning. We use a combination of online tools to give students a range of experiences in the language. Experienced staff are responsible for the course design, delivery and student support.

Short Courses:

If you are interested in starting to learn a new language, you could enrol in our 25-Week Intensive distance learning courses (Languages modules offered in Chinese, French, Gaelic, German and Spanish). These courses start in the week commencing 10 January 2022. Registration is now open.
If you already have some knowledge of Chinese, French, Gaelic, German or Spanish, such as a rusty Higher, GCSE, or O-level, then you may consider enrolling in the 10-week revision languages courses. These courses start in the week commencing 25 April 2022. 10-Week Revision Courses. Registration is now open.

2-Year online French, German and Spanish Graduate Diplomas

These 2-Year Graduate Diplomas by Distance Learning for part-time study are accredited by the General Teaching Council for Scotland. They are ideally suited for Secondary MFL teachers seeking an additional qualification in French, German or Spanish, and also attract a wide range of professionals from across Britain, Europe and beyond.

The Graduate Diplomas aim to provide the challenges of an undergraduate curriculum in the relevant language. At the end of their studies, students achieve an advanced understanding and knowledge of the language being studied.

Through an interdisciplinary process (Teaching Spanish in addition to French for example) and by interacting and exchanging ideas with other students from other parts of the UK, Europe and Overseas, students will be able to develop a critical understanding of their practice and education as a whole.

The Graduate Diplomas carry a rating of 120 SCOTCAT points (SCQF Levels 9-10). The qualification outcome is bench-marked at C1 in the Council of Europe Reference Framework for Languages. Applicants will normally have a pass at Higher level (or equivalent) in the language. This level can be achieved through completion of one of the University of Dundee‘s Distance Learning Intensive or Revision courses Languages | University of Dundee.

The diplomas place emphasis on reflection, inquiry, critical analysis, personal consideration of research findings and actively promotes the values, principles and practices of equality, social justice, integrity, trust and respect, and professional commitment in all areas of work.

Registration of the 2022-2024 Graduate Diplomas (2-Year part-time French , German and Spanish graduate-level diploma courses) is now open. The diplomas start in the week commencing 26 September 2022.

For more information visit the University of Dundee website, or to discuss any aspects of the courses or your application , please contact humanities@dundee.ac.uk.

November Bitesize: Making languages work for your primary pupils

12 November 2021 (SCILT)

SCILT monthly drop-ins are free, themed virtual events that are open to teachers and student teachers working in Scotland. Drop-ins are an opportunity to share your thoughts on that month’s bitesize resource and/or share your own experience on the theme.

In November 2021, we are looking at how we can combine employability and language skills in the primary classroom. Come along on 24 November to share your ideas and hear what others do too!

Our special guests will be Leanne Duncan, PT at Danestone Primary School, Aberdeen City and Christina MacGregor, P4-7 GME Teacher at Goodlyburn Primary School, Perth & Kinross. Leanne and Christina will tell us about the last year’s achievements by their pupils with activities that integrated languages and employability skills. The languages taught across the two schools are Gaelic, English, French and Chinese.

Find out more, along with the registration link, on our Bitesize webpage.

SQA vacancies - Visiting Assessors (VAs) of Advanced Higher Modern Languages performance-talking

9 November 2021 (SQA)

SQA is currently recruiting additional Visiting Assessors (VAs) of Advanced Higher Modern Languages performance-talking. VAs who have previously carried out this role do not need to reapply.

We would welcome applications for the following languages:

French
Gaelic (Learners)
German
Mandarin (Simplified)
Spanish

VAs will receive training/support and will complete a training exercise prior to attending a briefing event on Saturday 29 January 2022 in Glasgow.

Centre visits (dependent on Scottish Government health guidance) will be completed throughout mid-February to late March 2022. Up to 5 release days may be required to fulfil this role (number of release days is flexible).

Release fees and/or own time fees would be paid, as well as travel expenses.

Further detail, including selection criteria, is available via the link below, where you can submit your application. Deadline: 12 December.

If you need any further information, please contact elaine.clusker@sqa.org.uk.

SQA update to Advanced Higher Modern Languages visiting assessing

9 November 2021 (SQA)

Visiting assessing documents have been added for modern languages subjects at Advanced Higher.

Visit the SQA Modern Languages Advanced Higher webpage for more information.

Presentations and recordings are now available! Moving Forward with L3: Challenges and Opportunities Event, 10 September 2021

5 November 2021 (SCILT)

If you missed any part of this event, then we have good news for you! Materials are now available on our website to view at your own leisure, including video presentations from Keynote speaker, Joanna McPake, Reader in Education at the University of Strathclyde and Plenary speakers, Dr Łukasz Lutostański, Consul General and Sylwia Spooner, Head of Cultural Affairs at the Polish Consulate in Edinburgh. The event welcomed language leaders and practitioners to share thoughts, ideas, good practice and discuss the challenges we face in embedding L3 into our curricula, including information on the newly launched 10 Steps to Polish Programme, run in conjunction with SCILT.

PowerPoint presentations used from facilitated discussions, including testimonials and speaker biographies are also available to view and will be of interest to the language teaching community.

SQA Understanding Standards materials for session 2021-22

25 October 2021 (SQA)

Understanding Standards resources published for National 5 to Advanced Higher Modern Languages in session 2020-21 have been updated for session 2021-22.

The resources for Modern Languages are available on SQA Understanding Standards website.

SCHOLAR Modern Languages homework sessions

25 October 2021 (SCHOLAR)

SCHOLAR is hoping to supplement the work of e-Sgoil by covering some areas which they do not. We are offering online homework sessions for Higher German and National 5 French, German and Spanish. The sessions should help prepare learners for dealing with Reading, Directed Writing and Listening. The sessions will be on Mondays at 6pm.

Led by Douglas Angus, our online tutor, the first session will be:

Monday 1 November 2021 - Higher Reading and Translation. The sessions are interactive, and for Higher a dictionary would be useful to have handy!
Monday 8 November 2021 - Reading at National 5 for French, German and Spanish.

Access is through the SCHOLAR website, but no registration is needed to join in!

SQA - Markers for 2022 exams

7 October 2021 (SQA)

Recruitment for new markers who would like to be considered for a marking team for 2022 is now underway.

A Marker marks candidates’ work in line with detailed marking instructions and in accordance with SQA policy and procedures. The prime role is to ensure consistent application of national standards when marking candidate submission(s).

Opportunities are available across all subjects and levels, and full training will be provided.

Visit the SQA website for more information and apply by 19 December 2021.

Beairteas - Gaelic sessions for secondary pupils

7 October 2021 (e-Sgoil / Fèisean nan Gàidheal)

Beairteas is an intergenerational programme to match community-based fluent Gaelic speakers with schools and community groups.

In partnership with e-Sgoil, three sessions are planned during October and November 2021 giving S1-S6 pupils the opportunity to listen to some of our best known Gaelic personalities talk about their lives and interests. Pupils will also have an opportunity to join in the conversation and ask questions which will help to develop their own Gaelic.

Visit the Fèisean nan Gàidheal website for more information and to register for the sessions.

Words for the World competition

5 October 2021 (SCILT)

‘We must believe in the power and the strength of our words. Our words can change the world.’ (Malala Yousafzai)

Are you looking for a way to engage your language learners to think about global issues ahead of the COP26 summit in November? Inspired by Malala’s words, our Words for the World competition could be just what you need! SCILT is challenging learners to use their words and their languages to show how the world could be a better place.

More information about the competition is available on our Words for the World webpage. The entry deadline is 25 October 2021. If you'd like to upload submissions to the Words for the World MS Team, please contact us and provide your Glow email address. Please note, the competition is only open to schools in Scotland.

'Some people find it very unusual that I speak Gaelic'

4 October 2021 (BBC)

Gaelic speakers of African and Caribbean descent have shared their experiences of the language in a new BBC Alba documentary.

Glaswegian student and musician Cass Ezeji says some people she meets think it is unusual she is fluent in Gaelic and also has African heritage. Her paternal grandfather is Nigerian.

Growing up, Cass went to the Glasgow Gaelic School, Sgoil Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu, which teaches at both primary and secondary school levels.

Cass' parents, who do not speak Gaelic, chose the school because they thought she would get a good education there.

But Cass says she felt "a little lost" in immersive Gaelic-medium education, and among peers whose families were from the Highlands and Islands - the Western Isles are Gaelic's "heartland".

She says she argued with her mum about having to go to the school, and even felt angry about it.

The 27-year-old says: "The impression I had when I left school was that I didn't feel part of the Gaelic world.

"I didn't see myself represented in the culture so there was something of a disconnect."

But she says she has since gained an appreciation of her education and describes herself as an Afro-Gael.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Language Learning, Languages in the press

Espacios Increíbles 2021-22 - Register your interest now!

1 October 2021 (SCILT)

SCILT is delighted to announce Espacios Increíbles is back for its 3^rd year and it is bigger and better than before! We are looking for lots of budding architects and designers from S2 and S3 to take part in our Spanish competition to create an ‘Amazing Space.’

This competition combines aspects of design with Spanish language skills as they present their Espacio Increíble to a panel of judges and a live audience. Espacios Increíbles is a great way of introducing your pupils to different career pathways open to them when they study a language and encouraging uptake of Spanish in the Senior Phase.

To find out more visit our Espacios Increíbles webpage and register your school’s interest, by Monday 8 November.

MTOT 2021-22 - registration deadline approaching!

30 September 2021 (SCILT)

Our multilingual poetry competition offers schools and learners the opportunity to use their language skills creatively, by producing an original poem, song or rap in a language they speak at home (Mother Tongue) or are learning at school (Other Tongue). With a focus on the spoken word, entries are invited in video or audio format.

Teachers, help us find the next generation of multilingual poets! The deadline to register your school is 7 October 2021 (National Poetry Day), and all entries should be submitted by 3 December 2021.

Visit our MTOT webpage for full details and to sign-up.

Conversation course for secondary German teachers

28 September 2021 (Goethe-Institut)

Are you a secondary school teacher of German teaching at a school in Scotland? Would you like to practice your conversational skills and keep yourself up-to-date with current affairs in German speaking countries?

This conversation course will be right for you. We will be discussing a wide range of topics based on current newspaper articles, radio programmes and clips from German television. You will be taking away up-to-date materials and, hopefully, inspiration and lots of good ideas for your classroom.

The free online course will be held over Zoom between October 2021 and February 2022.

Visit the Goethe-Institut website for more details and to register by 4 October 2021.

Scots Language Awards: Iona Fyfe among winners announced in Dundee ceremony

26 September 2021 (The National)

Scottish celebrities, artists, and speakers gathered in Dundee for the Scots Language Awards on Saturday.

The audience attended Broughty Ferry’s Gardyne Theatre for the first time since before lockdown.

They were treated to interviews with the winners of 13 awards, and writer, broadcaster and National columnist Alistair Heather hosted the evening.

Poet and social media star Len Pennie introduced live performances from Victoria McNulty, Anna Stewart, Cameron Nixon, Alison Miller, and Ellie Beaton. Public voting on the nominees was open from September 6 to 19 with a record number of votes cast.

The awards recognise the heroic efforts and work of the people and organisations who all champion Scots’ unique culture, music and words.

Cabinet Secretary for Scotland’s Languages Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “These awards demonstrate that Scots is a vital part of this country’s cultural identity, and it is crucial we encourage and nurture the creativity of those who speak the language.”

Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival: 1st-10th October in person and 14th-17th October online

24 September 2021 (Consejería de Educación)

The 8th edition of ESFF is taking place 1st-10th October in person and 14th-17th October online.

We want to shine a light on the best Spanish language cinema and TV and we are thrilled to be able to bring everyone back together, in the cinema. Our aim is to show a broad range of all different genres of films and so the festival will feature a selection of regional productions including: Ane (David Pérez Sañudo), representing Basque cinema, and Chavalas (Carol Rodriguez Colás) will be providing a glimpse in Catalan cinema. Interspersed with these will be the new TV series Maricón Perdido (Bob Pop) and the highly acclaimed Mientras dure la guerra (Alejandro Amenábar).

To immerse yourself even more in the programme, make sure to check out the Q&As and panel discussions taking place throughout the festival. We are privileged to be joined by a number of leading academics including: Professor Nuria Capdevila-Argüelles (University of Exeter) who will present the audio-visual project, Cartas Vivas, in which women's voices from the 20th century are brought to life, embodied by leading actresses from the Spanish-speaking world.

We are also proud to commemorate the centenary of Luis García Berlanga with a screening of El Verdugo and A conversation with Spain. This will be followed by a round table discussion to highlight the importance of Berlanga, both in cinema and the cultural legacy he has left us.

School programme of the ESFF includes the film “Klaus” (Primary) and “Los Lobos” (Secondary).

For more information and to book tickets visit the Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival website.

Sign language could be taught to Glasgow's councillors

22 September 2021 (Glasgow Times)

British Sign Language (BSL) classes should be available to members of Glasgow City Council according to councillors who are campaigning to support those with hearing impairments.

The importance of sign language has been in the spotlight over the past year, with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon having a BSL interpreter for all her briefings during the Covid pandemic.

As it stands there are just 50 BSL interpreters for the whole of Scotland, and while the council is committed to providing training for workers in key sectors, it was not clear if councillors could be provided with help learning to sign.

Earlier this week members of the general purposes committee asked if councillors and council staff could have the opportunity to attend a BSL class to help them communicate more effectively with their constituents.

Posted in: Scotland, Language Learning, Languages in the press, BSL

Scottish Gaelic Awards - nominations open!

21 September 2021 (Scottish Gaelic Awards)

The Scottish Gaelic Awards reward all aspects of the Gaelic language and culture across the length and breadth of the country.

The Daily Record, alongside headline sponsor Bòrd na Gàidhlig are proud to host the most prestigious night of the year within the Gaelic community calendar. Celebrating Gaelic culture, education and language highlighting the excellent work undertaken to maintain growth and heritage. The awards will take place on 16 November 2021 and nominations are now open!

Visit the website for information about the award categories and to submit your nomination.

Maths Week Scotland 2021 - Maths wi nae Borders

21 September 2021 (Maths Week Scotland)

Maths Week Scotland takes place 27 September - 3 October 2021!

Every day during Maths Week Scotland a new puzzle is set from the Scottish Mathematical Council. Inspired by the annual Mathématiques sans Frontières contest, the Maths wi nae Borders mini-competition contains a language element and is for any class to complete together.

Visit the Maths Week Scotland website for full details and to download a competition pack (available from 27 September 2021).

SQA update to Advanced Higher Modern Languages coursework

21 September 2021 (SQA)

The SQA has published Advanced Higher Modern Languages Portfolio Answer Booklets. These can be found under the Coursework section of the SQA's AH Modern Languages webpage.

On-line videos give virtual taste of the islands' Gaelic culture

20 September 2021 (Stornoway Gazette)

A new collection of short videos that encourages visitors to experience and explore the Gaelic culture of the Outer Hebrides is now available online.

The six videos – produced for Outer Hebrides Tourism with the support of VisitScotland, CaMac and Bord na Gàidhlig – were developed in collaboration with local communities and community groups, and take viewers on a virtual journey through the islands, from the land raiders of Vatersay to the crofters of Ness.

The Gazette’s sister paper, The Scotsman, will be running features on Gaelic culture that link to the themes in the videos in their online edition this month.In each video, one or more islanders are interviewed in Gaelic, about a different aspect of island culture and their own personal connection with the language. Those with little or no Gaelic can follow the English subtitles.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press

Evening language courses at Dundee

17 September 2021 (University of Dundee)

Registration for the following year-long courses at the University of Dundee is now open until 27 September 2021:

French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Spanish, and British Sign Language (BSL).

For more information, please visit: https://www.dundee.ac.uk/languages/courses/forall/

To register please go to: https://www.buyat.dundee.ac.uk/short-courses/languages-for-all

If you have any queries, please contact: Veronique Malcolm : v.malcolm@dundee.ac.uk

Posted in: Chinese, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning - Adults, News from language & education organisations, Japanese, BSL

FilmG competition 2021

16 September 2021 (FilmG)

FilmG is MG ALBA’s Gaelic short film competition which is delivered by Cànan Graphics Studio, the multi-media company based on the Isle of Skye. FilmG was launched in 2008 in order to develop new talent for the Gaelic channel BBC ALBA which was launched in the same year. Over this time it has received more than 700 short films and seen many young people begin their careers in Gaelic television broadcasting.

This year's FilmG is now open for entries. In the Youth category the competition is open to high school classes, independent filmmakers, and primary schools. High school Gaelic classes across Scotland can also take up the offer of 2 day filmmaking workshops to support entrants.

Visit the FilmG website for more information and get entries in by 13 December 2021.

Turkish and Turkish culture courses starting soon

16 September 2021 (Turkish Consulate General Edinburgh)

The Office of the Education Attaché of the Turkish Consulate General in Edinburgh is now launching a programme aiming to teach children and adults some basic language skills such as reading, writing, speaking and listening in Turkish, and the Turkish culture.

The language programme is going to be conducted by expert teachers and offered for free. The courses will be held alongside the school terms in Scotland and will be supplemented by social, cultural and other educational activities whenever possible.

The courses will be offered to the children of Turkish families living in Scotland, the Northern Ireland and the North of England (including York). Our classes will be held face-to-face in Edinburgh and Glasgow, and start online in other cities.

If there are any other locations that has not been mentioned and if you are interested attending please do fill in the application form with your requirements and we will try and accommodate the request via online courses.

If you are Interested please fill in the attached form and send it to edinburgea@gmail.com.

After receiving applications, the Education Attaché’s Office will announce the timetable and the venues for the courses.

Students between the ages of 6 and 16 will be able to attend our courses however should there be a demand for different age groups this will also be considered.

Should you have any enquires please contact us at edinburgea@gmail.com.

Related Files

Turkish Courses application form (32.2 KB)

Posted in: Scotland, Cultural Diversity, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

Grant scheme assists celebration of Doric

16 September 2021 (The Doric Board)

The richness and diversity of the North East’s Doric culture is set to receive a funding boost, thanks to the launch of the Doric Board New Year Awards 2022.

The Doric Board has just opened up the third annual awards to applications from projects which celebrate the region’s exceptional heritage of Doric language, music, ballad, song, story, history, lore – and the creativity of those who live and work in the area.

Once again, grants of up to £1000 will be made available to applicants who reside in the North East to assist in the funding of projects which comply with the Board’s objectives - the promotion of the language, traditions and culture of the North-east of Scotland.

The scheme is part of the founding aim of the Doric Board and was created with the support of the Scottish Government to develop and support a sustainable, dynamic future for Doric as a vibrant language.

The Doric Board (North-East Tradition and Language - NETAL) aims to be a powerful voice for social and economic regeneration, and a driver towards a national Scots language board. Earlier this year, it also spearheaded the first annual Doric Phrase Week which used the power of online and social media technology to get the public on board and submit favourite phrases and anecdotes which were shared a sizeable, global audience.

Commenting on the launch of the 2022 Doric Board New Year Awards, Doric Board chair Frieda Morrison said: “The lengths our applicants went to in realising their projects this year and last year are a clear illustration of the unwavering support which exists for the language and culture.

“We hope that the launch of the 2022 New Year Awards will inspire applications which represent the wealth of pride and passion there is for Doric, and we are excited to see the diverse range of projects which might benefit from our help.”

Applications should be emailed to The Doric Board by 12th December 2021. Funds will be made available to successful applicants the in mid-January 2022.

To find out more, visit the website at www.doricboard.com or email info@doricboard.com.

September Bitesize: Early Years creative puppetry and language learning drop-in

16 September 2021 (SCILT)

SCILT monthly drop-ins are free, themed virtual events that are open to teachers and student primary teachers working in Scotland. Drop-ins are an opportunity to share your thoughts on that month’s Bitesize resource and/or share your own experience on the theme.

In September 2021, we’re looking at language learning in the Early Years and exploring the use of creative puppetry to support this. So join the drop-in on 29 September, share your ideas and experiences and hear what others do too!

Find out more, along with the registration link, on our Bitesize webpage.

Revamped Inverness Castle to celebrate Gaelic culture in setting ‘to rival Edinburgh Tattoo’

16 September 2021 (Press and Journal)

One of Scotland’s first Gaelic gardens will be created at Inverness Castle.

The garden is part of a plan to showcase Gaelic language and culture in the ambitious castle redevelopment.

Members of the Highland Council Gaelic committee warmly welcomed the proposals at today’s meeting.

Chairman Allan Henderson said: “It’s an impressive project and I can certainly see when the next Mod comes to Inverness, the massed choirs up there on the esplanade in an area to rival the Edinburgh Festival Tattoo any time.”

You’d be forgiven for wondering what makes a garden Gaelic.

High Life Highland, which is leading the project for the council, say the plants chosen have stories that link back to Gaelic medicines, religion and traditions.

Gaelic phrases and alphabet will be set into the stone, helping to tell the story of the ancient culture.

Elsewhere, a ‘seanchaidh’ (traditional Gaelic storyteller) will welcome visitors to the castle and allow them to discover stories from all over Highland.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press

Filmhouse cinema programme for secondary pupils

16 September 2021 (Glasgow Filmhouse)

Glasgow Filmhouse is delighted to be re-opening its doors to schools with an engaging programme of films for all ages and stages. As well as welcoming regular partners such as the Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival, French Film Festival UK and Into Film, the Filmhouse will be showcasing films picked by the education team to mark Black History Month, COP 26 and to celebrate Christmas!

Visit the website for more information about the programme for schools and to book screenings.

e-Sgoil study support webinars 2021

14 September 2021 (e-Sgoil)

During Autumn 2021 e-Sgoil is offering a programme of real time interactive Study Support Webinars.

A variety of subjects are on offer at different levels from National 4 to Advanced Higher.

The webinars include sessions for students of French, Spanish and Gaelic. Classes have just started so there's still time for pupils to register.

Visit the e-Sgoil website for more information.

Masters study opportunity for LLP/TTT and TeLT alumni

10 September 2021 (SCILT/University of Strathclyde)

Four questions for Scottish primary and secondary teachers:

Are you interested in developing yourself professionally and academically through Masters study?
Have you been a participant on the Education Scotland/SCILT course called Languages Leadership Programme (LLP, previously known as Train the Trainer) within the last five years?
Have you been a student on the Open University/SCILT programme called Teachers Learning to Teach Languages in Primary School (TeLT) within the last five years?
Were you awarded GTCS Professional Recognition from either of these programmes?

If the answer is yes, then you are eligible to accredited prior learning (APL) to the tune of 20 Masters credits, enabling you to transfer onto Masters in Education (MEd) pathways at the School of Education at the University of Strathclyde.

The award of GTCS Professional Recognition from these programmes gives access to the following pathways:

MEd Education Studies for TeLT and LLP/TTT alumni. Start date September 2021 or January 2022
MEd Educational Leadership for LLP/TTT alumni. Start date September 2021 or September 2022

Interested?

For the MEd Education Studies route contact Angela De Britos angela.de-britos@strath.ac.uk

For the MEd Educational Leadership route contact Joanna Holmes joanna.holmes@strath.ac.uk

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, All Languages, Scotland, CPD, Language Teaching, Teacher Education, SCILT news, News from language & education organisations

RZSS Beyond the Panda FREE virtual programmes

6 September 2021 (RZSS)

P1-P3 Two live virtual sessions available after the October break until December but only on Thursdays. Advisable to book now as limited places. Choose from 'Intro to the giant panda' or 'I can see, hear, smell, taste and touch'. Both are based around the giant panda and include some basic Mandarin language learning. Limited places. Contact Sandie Robb - srobb@rzss.org.uk for further details and booking.

P4-P7 Seven week progressive programme through live virtual sessions. Book now for delivery in January to March 2022 (already fully booked for 2021). Covers many topics on China, its wildlife, endangered species and culture. Ideal for L3 Mandarin or China topic. Includes some basic Mandarin language learning. Key objectives are on the flyer. Limited places. Contact Sandie Robb - srobb@rzss.org.uk for further details and booking.

All sessions are delivered on Microsoft Teams within GLOW. Enabled by our partnership with CISS and eSgoil.

Further details and additional resources can be found on the Beyond the Panda website.

Related Files

Beyond the Panda flyer (529 KB)

Posted in: Primary, Chinese, Scotland, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources, News from language & education organisations

Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival: programme for schools

6 September 2021 (Consejería de Educación)

The Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival is back for its eight edition and would like to invite you once again to participate in the School Programme aimed at Spanish Learning students.

Due to COVID-19, we are changing the regular format to a Hybrid Event. This means we will be offering two films tailored to Primary and Secondary schools.

Please see attached the information about the films and a pre-recorded virtual workshop by Intersect Madrid for secondary schools.

Related Files

ESFF Schools Programme Letter 2021 (319 KB)

Posted in: Primary, Senior Phase, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

MTOT 2021-22 - Our multilingual poetry competition is back!

3 September 2021 (SCILT)

We are delighted to announce the launch of MTOT 2021-22! This competition offers schools and learners the opportunity to use their language skills creatively, by producing an original poem, song or rap in a language they speak at home (Mother Tongue) or are learning at school (Other Tongue). We are continuing our focus on the spoken word, so entries can be in video or audio format.

Last year, despite all the challenges, MTOT went from strength to strength, and the creativity shown by all those who entered was truly uplifting. Our winners were featured on the Kid’s Poetry Club podcast, and MTOT now has its own dedicated section on the UK Children’s Poetry Archive. As if that wasn’t enough, this year we are also partnering with the Dictionaries of the Scots Language, who are offering a special prize for winning entries in Scots.

Whatever your language, we want you to find your voice and share it with us. We can’t wait to see what this year’s young poets will produce!

Teachers should register interest by 7 October 2021 (National Poetry Day), and all entries will be submitted by 3 December 2021.

Visit our MTOT webpage for full details.

World Wide Napier magazine - Call for submissions

2 September 2021 (Napier University)

World Wide Napier, the magazine in foreign languages designed by language students to encourage language studies, is currently looking for contributions in French, German and Spanish for issue eight of the publication. The next issue's overarching theme is 'Revolution'. Pick a subject associated with revolution and turn it into an engaging article.

Students at secondary school, college or university are invited to submit contributions by email by 10 November 2021.

Visit the World Wide Napier website for more information and submission guidelines.

Our World 2021-22

31 August 2021 (SEET)

Our World is a languages and citizenship based filmmaking project for S3 - S6 pupils. It's designed to complement the Curriculum for Excellence and help tackle the Attainment Challenge by providing a free project which uses an interdisciplinary approach to encourage pupils to become more engaged in their language learning.

Teams of 4 (S3-S6) design a storyboard which outlines the film they propose to make. This year's films will explore the idea of global citizenship, must include the use of a language other than English, and should touch on the theme of the Sustainable Development Goals. Each team must choose at least one of the 17 SDGs to focus their film on.

Registration for the 2021-22 project is now open - https://ourworldproject.wufoo.com/forms/z1fa1wdl0fdqs2a/

Visit the SEET website for more information and register to take part.

French Workshops for Higher and Advanced Higher

24 August 2021 (Edinburgh College)

With funding from the Franco-Scottish Society, Edinburgh College is pleased to offer free online courses for Higher and Advanced Higher French pupils, which will be delivered from September 2021. Their aim is to provide additional support to pupils who get limited time for speaking practice so that they feel more confident for their speaking exam. Open to any Higher or Advanced Higher French pupil who would benefit from additional input, wherever they are in Scotland.

Follow the appropriate link below for further information and an application form:

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, Scotland, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

New fund will encourage island communities to increase use of Gaelic

23 August 2021 (Press and Journal)

A new fund is giving island communities a financial incentive to speak Gaelic more and help save the language.

The Gaelic Community Fund is being piloted in the Highlands, the Western Isles and Argyll and Bute.

It aims to encourage innovative ways to increase use of the language in its heartland.

Set up by Community Land Scotland (CLS), with support from Bòrd na Gàidhlig, it is mainly targeting community-owned areas.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Promoting Languages, Languages in the press

SQA update to Advanced Higher Modern Languages course overview

16 August 2021 (SQA)

Visit the SQA website for the updated Advanced Higher Modern Languages course overview for session 2021-22.

The Jacqueline Munro-Lafon Essay Prize 2021 - Winners announced!

16 August 2021 (SCILT/Franco-Scottish Society)

The Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland, in partnership with SCILT (Scotland's National Centre for Languages), established an essay prize in honour of Madame Jacqueline Munro-Lafon’s long and active life in the Franco-Scottish Community and to mark her one hundredth birthday.

Pupils from across Scotland took part in the competition and produced a high quality of essays. The winners were announced at an awards ceremony held by Zoom on Tuesday 15 June 2021. A recording of this, along with a list of the winning entries, is now available on the Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland website.

Police carry out ‘language audit’ in drive to encourage Gaelic speakers

12 July 2021 (The Times)

For decades police chiefs have recruited Highlanders and Islanders, often Gaels, to keep order in Scotland’s cities, but now they are trying to find out how many are left in their ranks.

Police Scotland have carried out a Gaelic audit to calculate how many officers and staff speak the language — and how many it, ideally, would need to do so.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Language Learning for Work, Languages in the press

Social media duo set to front Gaelic language initiative

11 July 2021 (Grampian Online)

BBC presenters and social media stars Joy Dunlop and Calum Maclean are to lead SpeakGaelic, a new language learning initiative aiming to transform take up of the language.

SpeakGaelic’s exciting and ambitious new Gaelic learning resources will provide a comprehensive framework for Gaelic language learning across TV, iPlayer, BBC Sounds, web, face-to-face classes, YouTube and other social media to attract and inspire learners and speakers.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Language Learning, Languages in the press

Gaelic in crisis: A year on from report claiming the language ‘could collapse in a decade’, what has changed?

2 July 2021 (Press and Journal)

Today marks one year since a study was published warning that Gaelic was at risk of collapse within a decade.

The Gaelic Crisis in the Vernacular Community was compiled by researchers from the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) Language Sciences Institute and Soillse, a multi-institutional research collaboration.

It was said to be the most comprehensive social survey on the state of Gaelic communities ever conducted.

The findings seemed to set alarm bells ringing. But 12 months on, what has changed?

According to the report’s author Conchúr Ó Giollagáin, not a whole lot.

Mr Ó Giollagáin, professor of Gaelic research at UHI, believes there is still an impasse between Gaelic bodies and island communities over language decision-making.

He said there is need for “root and branch reform” and that new thinking and alternative views on a way forward should be considered.

‘The Gaelic Crisis in the Vernacular Community’ was published on July 2 last year.

Researchers studied the use of the language in the Western Isles, in Staffin in Skye and in Tiree. In these areas, Gaelic speakers could total just 11,000, most of them over 50.

The report warned Gaelic will collapse as a viable community language within a decade unless a radical new approach is taken to revitalise it.

Campaigners say Gaelic-speaking communities have been ignored and marginalised by policy makers and called for more local decision-making.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Policy, Languages in the press

What next for Gaelic – new parliament, new start?

25 June 2021 (Bella Caledonia)

This week has seen a debate in the Scottish Parliament on the future direction of Gaelic policy, on a backbench motion tabled by Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (the Western Isles), with significant cross-party support. According to Allan, ‘The next parliamentary term will be important in securing the status and vitality of the Gaelic language. The SNP outlined the most ambitious commitments for Gaelic in the history of the Scottish Parliament in our 2021 election manifesto.’ To what extent is this true, and what kinds of progress in Gaelic development can we hope to see in the next few years?

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Policy, Scottish Government, Languages in the press

Online language NQ courses with Edinburgh College

18 June 2021 (Edinburgh College)

Higher and Advanced Higher French workshops

With funding from the Franco-Scottish Society, Edinburgh College is pleased to offer free online courses for Higher and Advanced Higher French pupils, which will be delivered from September 2021. Their aim is to provide additional support to pupils who get limited time for speaking practice so that they feel more confident for their speaking exam. Open to any Higher or Advanced Higher French pupil who would benefit from additional input, wherever they are in Scotland.

Follow the appropriate link below for further information and an application form:

Free online language NQ courses for school pupils with Edinburgh College

School pupils who find their chosen language qualification is not offered in their school can study their NQ language course online for free with Edinburgh College. The following options are available:

National 5 and Higher: French, German, Italian and Spanish.
Advanced Higher: French and Spanish.
Exam arrangements: Though enrolled with Edinburgh College, pupils still sit their exams at their own school (including the Adv Higher speaking exam).

These online courses can be accessed across Scotland and all Scottish school pupils qualify for a full fee waiver.

See the online modern languages course flyer for more information.

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, National Qualifications, News from language & education organisations

Save the Date! L3 knowledge exchange event coming soon….

17 June 2021 (SCILT)

L3 Knowledge Exchange Event flyer

We are delighted to announce that our knowledge event Moving Forward with L3: Challenge and Opportunity will take place online on Friday 10 September from 1.30 – 4pm. The event will explore the ways in which primary and secondary schools are incorporating L3 into the curriculum and will consider some of the challenges it poses. Themed parallel sessions will run throughout the afternoon where participants will have the opportunity to consider key points from presentations delivered and engage in professional dialogue with colleagues. This cross sector event is open to primary and secondary practitioners, language leads, PTs, Faculty heads, local authority development officers and relevant members of the school’s leadership team. We are looking forward to welcoming you to this event and further details on how to register will be available soon.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, All Languages, Scotland, 1+2, Language Teaching, Teacher Education, SCILT news

Renew, Refresh, Re-imagine! Scottish Learning Festival theme announced

16 June 2021 (Education Scotland)

The Scottish Learning Festival (SLF) is taking place online on Tuesday 21 September until Thursday 23 September 2021 and the theme for this year’s event has been confirmed: ‘Renew, Refresh, Re-imagine: Learning from our experiences and looking to the future.’

SLF is free to attend and the conference programme is developed to support career long professional learning, helping to keep professional practice fresh, up-to-date and relevant.

Further details will follow soon. Register for updates on the Education Scotland website.

e-Sgoil Gaelic courses from August 2021

15 June 2021 (e-Sgoil)

Formal registrations are now invited for e-Sgoil's national offer of Gaelic courses for the academic session commencing August 2021.

Visit the website for further information and to register pupils (Glow login required).

SCILT will soon be recruiting a new Professional Development Officer to expand its existing secondary team

11 June 2021 (SCILT)

Are you a committed and dynamic secondary teacher of Modern Languages looking for a new challenge?
Do you have the leadership skills to support colleagues with inspiring and research-informed professional learning?
Do you have the creativity to design and lead projects that shape and improve learning for Scotland’s young people?

If so, then this may be the opportunity for you to develop your skills and support learning at a national level.

More details on the post and application process coming soon!

Enquiries and notes of interest to SCILT scilt@strath.ac.uk

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, All Languages, Scotland, Careers, CPD, Language Teaching, Promoting Languages, Teacher Education, SCILT news

Gaelic campaigners accuse SNP of 'sidelining' crisis facing language

31 May 2021 (The Herald)

Gaelic campaigners have accused the SNP Government of "sidelining" the crisis facing the language as they called for urgent talks over its future.

In an open letter, new campaign group Guth nan Siarach said speakers are "effectively excluded from the decision-making processes for our native language in its own place".

(Note - subscription required to access full article).

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press

IDT Wien 2022: Mit.Sprache.Teil.Haben

31 May 2021 (Goethe-Institut)

The International Conference of German Teachers (IDT) is the largest forum in the field of German as a foreign language worldwide. It not only provides training and mediation between theory and practice, but is also an excellent opportunity for networking. The next IDT will take place 15 - 20 August 2022 in Vienna, Austria.

If you work at a Scottish school or other DaF educational organisation in Scotland and are interested in a scholarship from the Goethe-Institut Glasgow to attend, email to register your interest by 15 June 2021. Visit the Goethe-Institut Glasgow website for more information.

Catching up with the rest of the world: The foreign languages revolution in Scottish schools

30 May 2021 (Press and Journal)

Scottish schools are undergoing a revolution in foreign language learning in an attempt to reverse generations of neglect.

After years of being derided as ‘lazy’ linguists abroad, there are plans to produce a multilingual workforce.

Few school systems demand less foreign language learning from their children than those in the UK.

This is not helped by having a native language that is the ‘lingua franca’ of the world.

But a Scottish Government policy is setting out to change all that.

Under the 1+2 Languages initiative, pupils will learn their own language (L1) plus two others (L2 and L3).

The L2 will be taught from Primary 1, and the L3 from Primary 5 to 7. There will be compulsory teaching of at least one foreign language until S3.

Education bosses will fully implement the “ambitious” policy for the start of the 2021-22 school year.

Based on the last Scottish Government survey in 2019, 88% of primary schools – approximately 1,760 schools – were delivering the full L2 entitlement.

This already represents significant progress. Anyone in their 30s who went to a Scottish state school won’t have studied foreign languages until secondary school.

The Scottish Government has spent more than £45million since 2013 on increasing foreign language learning in schools.

Teachers are currently being provided with training and support in readiness for the changes.

Bòrd na Gàidhlig new website

20 May 2021 (Bòrd na Gàidhlig)

The recently renewed website from Bòrd na Gàidhlig includes useful information about all sectors of gaelic education in Scotland, along with guidance documentation.

Resources are all available in the Education section of the website.

May Bitesize: Parental Engagement in Schools – Primary & Secondary drop-in

11 May 2021 (SCILT)

SCILT monthly drop-ins are free, themed virtual events that are open to teachers and student primary teachers working in Scotland. Drop-ins are an opportunity to share your thoughts on that month’s Bitesize resource and/or share your own experience on the theme.

In May 2021, we’re looking at parental engagement and how schools approach this in a languages context. So join the drop-in on 26 May, share your ideas and experiences and hear what others do too!

Find out more, along with the registration link, on our Bitesize webpage.

Partial Early Level Experiences & Outcomes and Benchmarks for modern languages have been published!

11 May 2021 (Education Scotland)

Es & Os and Benchmarks for modern languages for a Primary 1 start to language learning were published on the NIH on Monday, 10^th May and represent an important piece of national curricular support for the 1+2 policy. The original Es & Os published in 2009 for modern languages were for curriculum levels 2, 3 & 4 only, as language learning in primary schools at that time traditionally began in P6. When the 1+2 policy was introduced in 2012/13 in schools, Education Scotland provided First Level Es and Os to support practitioners with planning to introduce language teaching from an earlier stage in primary schools; these represented a sufficient resource for a number of years, however, a measure of success of the implementation of the policy has meant that many more schools have language learning fully in place from Primary 1, hence the need for a partial suite of Es & Os and Benchmarks to support teachers with a P1 start to language learning (as the 1+2 policy begins in P1 and is not funded for pre-P1 learning) and comprise eight Es, Os and benchmark statements.

Beyond the Panda CLPL

5 May 2021 (RZSS)

Beyond the Panda is the RZSS giant panda and Mandarin education programme. RZSS is a science specialist Confucius Classroom and offers a unique programme covering science while learning some of the Mandarin language and Chinese characters. It is designed for cross curricular learning where students investigate and discover more about China, its culture, language, geography, giant pandas and other Chinese wildlife.

This virtual CLPL course will hope to engage and inspire teaching staff to use the Beyond the Panda online resources with their students in order to develop a love of nature, animals and conservation and in particular to realise the biodiversity of China and the relevance of the Chinese language and culture. Delivered through Microsoft Teams within Glow.

In partnership with DYWLive and eSgoil, there are three opportunities to book, starting at 4pm on either Tuesday 25th May, Thursday 10th or Thursday 17th June. Booking is through DYWLive, under Professional Learning - Beyond the Panda CLPL

French language learning with the Alliance Française and Institut français

4 May 2021 (Alliance Française/Institut français)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow and Institut français in Edinburgh offer a range of opportunities for learners of French. The following are some of their forthcoming activities.

AF online Summer Classes for adults between June and September 2021
To celebrate the Cannes Festival in July, IFcinéma à la carte is offering a special selection of French films from 10 May to 10 June 2021
A selection of online resources including cinema reviews, podcasts, virtual tours of French museums and monuments, a baking workshop and news about the IF Beyond Words literary festival from 17 May 2021

Further information can be found on the Alliance Française website.

Free Gaelic lessons for Glasgow City Council staff

3 May 2021 (BBC)

Fèisean nan Gàidheal has developed a course for Glasgow City Council staff as part of the authority's aim to develop Gaelic in the city.

The Gaelic arts organization is working with the council after many staff indicated that they would like to learn the language.

The online lessons for adults will be available over nine weeks and the course will start on the 4th of May.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Language Learning, Languages in the press

MTOT 2021 - winner videos now available!

30 April 2021 (SCILT)

In academic session 2020-21, after a short hiatus, SCILT relaunched the Mother Tongue Other Tongue competition, with a new focus on the spoken word. Learners were invited not only to write a poem in their mother or other tongue, but to perform it so that their words could be heard in their own voice. The work produced by all the young poets who took part was wonderful, especially during this most challenging year. The winning and highly commended video entries from this year's competition in Scotland are now available to view on the MTOT Awards page of SCILT's website.

Cuach Na Cloinne 2021 - The Player

24 April 2021 (FC Sonas/CnaG)

FC Sonas, the bilingual football service, is delighted to be working in partnership with CnaG to offer 4 online sessions to pupils in Gaelic medium education (primary and secondary) across the country to celebrate Cuach na Cloinne 2021.

FC Sonas will speak to some of the Gaelic speakers to be found in the world of football, both players and experts. There will be debates, questions, challenges and much more.

Visit the website for more information and to register your child/class by 5 May 2021.

SQA Advanced Higher Modern Languages update

22 April 2021 (SQA)

The SQA has added a new additional resource document on Gathering key evidence and provisional results. This can be found in the Understanding Standards dropdown section of the AH Modern Languages page on their website.

e-Sgoil Study Support

21 April 2021 (e-Sgoil)

e-Sgoil's Term 4 study support sessions for senior phase students in Scotland will commence 26 April 2021. They offer a wide range of real-time, interactive Study Support webinar lessons to help consolidate pupils' school-based learning. The timetable includes sessions for N5, Higher and Advanced Higher French and Spanish.

Visit the e-Sgoil website for full details and to book. Pupils will need their Glow login details and Scottish Candidate Number.

Presentations now available! Scotland’s Languages Landscape: Equity in Diversity Event, 26 February 2021

20 April 2021 (SCILT)

If you missed any part of this event, then we have good news for you! Materials are now available on our website to view at your own leisure, including video presentations from Deputy First Minister, John Swinney, Keynote speaker, Dr Stacey Margarita Johnson, Assistant Director of the Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee and Plenary speaker, Louise Glen, Senior Education Officer at Education Scotland, highlighting the importance of providing all learners with access to a wide range of language and intercultural experiences.

PowerPoint presentations used from facilitated discussions, including testimonials and speaker biographies are also available to view and will be of interest to the language teaching community and community-based organisations.

SNP announce plans to explore creation of recognised Gaelic-speaking area

14 April 2021 (The Herald)

The SNP has announced plans to secure the future of Gaelic by investing in education and exploring the creation of a recognised Gaelic-speaking area.

The party said it will work to ensure Gaelic flourishes throughout Scotland as well as in its traditional heartlands if it is re-elected in May.

It also said it would "review the functions and structures" of Bòrd na Gàidhlig (BnG), the quango responsible for promoting the language.

BnG has been the focus of criticism over its performance.

The SNP said it would look into creating a recognised "Gàidhealtachd" to raise levels of language competence and encourage the provision of more services in Gaelic.

The Gaidhealtachd is the area of Scotland where people speak Gaelic and usually refers to the Highlands and islands.

Teachers Learning to Teach Languages: OU-SCILT Programme

1 April 2021 (Open University/SCILT)

Registration for the Open University (OU) and SCILT online CPD programme in primary languages, known as TELT, is now open for the 2021 intake. The modules begin on 2 October with induction activities starting on 20 September, and finish in July 2022. The fee in Scotland is £264.00 per module place. Please request registration packs by 30 June 2021.

You can find important information about the programme at our dedicated TELT programme website. There you can see which languages and levels we offer, FAQs and what our past students say.

To register, please contact the OU corporate registrations team by writing to corporate-enquiries@open.ac.uk. NB please also copy scotland-languages@open.ac.uk into your email.

Please note it is important for prospective TELT students to plan ahead and ensure that they will be able to dedicate sufficient time to their study, because, once the module start date has passed, deferral is not possible. The fee will still be payable and cannot be refunded if students decide to defer or withdraw from studying the module.

Should you have any questions about this programme please contact scotland-languages@open.ac.uk.

French Film Festival UK 2021

25 March 2021 (French Film Festival)

The French Film Festival UK’s Learning Programme is delighted to bring French-speaking cinema to Scotland’s schools between April and June 2021.

A selection of films on DVD are available on request and will be sent directly to schools. To accompany the selection of films for different age groups, school screenings are enhanced by online learning resources prepared by Lise Morel. Participating teachers will be able to download these Learning Packs as PDFs to use in the classroom. These resources have been designed in accordance with the Modern Languages Experience and Outcomes for Curriculum for Excellence.

Please note that for schools within attainment challenge authorities, this resource is available free of charge. For further information, email schools@frenchfilmfestival.org.uk

Posted in: French, Scotland, Celebrating Languages, Cultural Diversity, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

Calling all 1+2 LLP/Train the Trainer participants 2014-2019 – Join the Languages Leadership Programme Team!

25 March 2021 (SCILT)

Did you attend Education Scotland and SCILT’s Summer School for the 1+2 Languages Leadership Programme 2017-2019, or Train the Trainer 2014-2016? If so, then this role might be for you!

Scotland’s new Languages Leadership Programme launches in June of this year. To begin with, participants will attend 2 days of online professional learning led by Education Scotland on 18-19 June through a vibrant online LLP learning community using Teams in Glow.

During 2021-22, participants will then take part in the LLP affiliated professional learning of their choice from a menu of LLP affiliated opportunities from Education Scotland, SCILT and LANGS partners. During this time they will complete a number of critical reflection tasks in relation to their leadership activity and LLP affiliated professional learning. Over the course of the year, Critical Friends will each support a small number of participants, providing regular feedback on their critical reflection tasks.

Wondering whether you could be a critical friend?

Have you benefitted from taking part in the 1+2 LLP/TTT programme yourself?
Have you previously undertaken or would you like to undertake a coaching, mentoring or critical friend role to support colleagues with their professional development?

If so, then you will bring a wealth of commitment, understanding and skills to the new Critical Friend role on this innovative pilot. You will be involved in the evaluation process at different stages during the year and professional learning and support will be provided to you. In addition, Critical Friends will also be supported to submit an individual application for GTCS Professional Recognition.

Visit the registration page to find out how you can apply to join the LLP team as a Critical Friend by Monday 17 May.

If you have any questions about applying for this role, please email scilt@strath.ac.uk and include ‘LLP’ in the subject line.

We look forward to hearing from you.

French online in a fun and friendly environment

18 March 2021 (Language for Fun)

At La Jolie Ronde, Sandra has been teaching extracurricular French classes for around 11 years, working locally in Livingston and Falkirk. Originally from France, she employs her passion for languages through her teaching programme tailored to all age groups, with pupils ranging from the age of 2 up to 16 years old. She also offers ongoing classes after pupils leave school so they can fit French lessons into their busy day and continue their French.

Sandra also runs a second business called Language for Fun, where she provides French classes to adults. Whether you are beginner or advanced, Language for Fun offers four different levels of French teaching and support for adults looking to pick up a second language.

Sandra has recently been recognised for the quality of her lessons and teaching by receiving the La Jolie Ronde Licensee of the Year Award for Scotland and the North of England. This award demonstrates the work Sandra puts into her teaching and her business.

Through teaching French to around 100 pupils a week, Sandra hopes to share not only her passion as a French teacher, but also the opportunity for everyone to learn French. She is proud of Language For Fun individually tailored Virtual Learning Environment, where French can easily be learnt from the comfort of your own home, in a fun and friendly teaching environment.

If you would like to redeem your FREE hour taster session (reference_SfkSUCoE) offered to SCILT readers, please contact Sandra directly by text on 07503 465 341; by email sandra@languageforfun.uk or via her Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/French-for-fun-Livingston-298150100848787/.

Posted in: French, Scotland, Language Learning - Adults, News from language & education organisations

Short conversation course for secondary teachers

15 March 2021 (Goethe-Institut)

Are you a secondary school teacher of German teaching at a school in Scotland? Would you like to practice your conversational skills and keep yourself up-to-date with current affairs in German speaking countries?

This conversation course will be right for you. We will be discussing a wide range of topics based on current newspaper articles, radio programmes and clips from German television. You will be taking away up-to-date materials and, hopefully, inspiration and lots of good ideas for your classroom.

The course will also provide an opportunity for networking and sharing best practice examples amongst German language teachers.

Visit the Goethe-Institut website for more information and to register by 29 March 2021. Please note, places are limited.

e-Sgoil Easter study support

11 March 2021 (e-Sgoil)

e-Sgoil is offering an Easter programme (6-16 April) of real-time, interactive webinars covering Nat 4 to Advanced Higher, for Scottish learners in the Senior Phase. The programme is not designed to deliver whole course content but will focus on key aspects of the subject(s) and hints and tips on how to be successful in assessments.

Visit the e-Sgoil website for full programme details and to book.

SQA Advanced Higher Modern Languages update

8 March 2021 (SQA)

The SQA has updated information in the Understanding Standards section of their Advanced Higher Modern Languages webpage. The section contains additional resources for the 2020-21 session.

How Scottish Gaelic is helping protect Scotland’s seas

5 March 2021 (The Conversation)

Regulations brought in following the UK’s departure from the EU have delayed the export of live shellfish to Europe, causing entire lorry loads of lobsters and langoustines to expire in Scotland’s ports.

Fishing is a relatively small part of the UK’s economy, but fishing rights dominated much of the Brexit negotiations with the European Union. And with the UK free of the EU’s environmental protections, fishing is once more a battleground for competing ideas in marine conservation.

While these debates nearly always concern numbers – catch quotas, stock levels, prices and tariffs – focusing on these quantifiable aspects alone can lead us to overlook the values that keep people fishing in the first place.

Our research on inshore fishing in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides – a sparsely populated island chain off the west coast – took us from boats to processing plants and archives, revealing a commitment to sustainability that’s rooted in more than just legislation. We found that nurturing the culture and language of these islands is as important as protecting wildlife to preserve a thriving marine environment for generations to come.

Around 75% of fishermen in the Outer Hebrides are Gaelic speakers, far higher than the 61% of speakers for the islands’ population as a whole. Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language – related to, but quite distinct from Irish Gaelic – once spoken across much of Scotland, yet now primarily confined to its westernmost isles. The language declined over the 20th century and now has around 60,000 speakers.

Fishermen’s daily use of the language at work helps pass it on to the next generation, as young people become immersed in Scottish Gaelic while out on the boats and in the processing plants where the catch is landed.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press

‘SQA has been dumbing down languages exams for years’

25 February 2021 (TES)

In 2017, I looked back on my 46 years of modern languages teaching. Despite fond memories, I felt unease. I sensed a disconnect between pupils’ competences and Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) results. I have met Higher pupils whose A grade left them floundering and unable to create spontaneous, simple German.

Three years’ research answered the question: have German teaching and testing – which I used as an exemplifier for modern languages – failed Scottish pupils?

The SQA decision at the end of January to ditch the talking element of Advanced Higher shows that they continue to fail Scottish pupils and confirms my research findings.

Multilingual Debate 2021

25 February 2021 (Heriot-Watt University)

Heriot-Watt University's Multilingual Debate is an annual event that showcases the interpreting skills of undergraduate students on our Languages (Interpreting and Translating) degree programme, as well as the developing professional skills of postgraduate students on our MSc Interpreting and Translating programmes.

The event takes the form of a formal debate with two multilingual teams arguing for and against a motion of topical interest in a range of languages. The teams deliver their views in their various native languages (French, German, Spanish, English, Arabic, Chinese, British Sign Language (BSL)).

The Multilingual Debates 2021 will take place online via Zoom on Wednesday 24 March and Friday 26 March.

Visit the Heriot-Watt Multilingual Debate webpage for more information and to register for the free event.

eSgoil Easter study support

25 February 2021 (eSgoil)

Calling all teachers of Advanced Higher French, Spanish or German!

e-Sgoil is currently planning it's Easter Study Support programme. We are looking for experienced teachers who could deliver AH Webinars. There are three one hour sessions over the two weeks (6-16th April).

Please get in touch for further information - email damacleod1a@gnes.net

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, German, Spanish, Scotland, Language Teaching, National Qualifications, News from language & education organisations

MTOT 2021 - winners announced!

25 February 2021 (SCILT)

Whilst the current pandemic prevented us from hosting this year's Mother Tongue Other Tongue celebratory awards event in the stunning Ramshorn Building in Glasgow, we managed to host our very own online red carpet event instead! Pupils, teachers and parents joined us online to hear the winners announced on the afternoon of Friday 19 February, a date especially chosen to tie in with International Mother Language Day on 21 February celebrating all world languages.

We are delighted to announce the following winners and highly commended entries in each category:

Mother Tongue	Award	Pupil	School	Language
P1-P4	Winner	Zayne Emengo-Okpo	St Aloysius College JS	Hausa
P1-P4	Highly commended	Eloïse Harkins	St Aloysius College JS	French
P5-P7	Winner	Lucja Lubanska	St Charles’ Primary	Polish
P5-P7	Highly commended	Ahmad Raza	Newmains Primary	Urdu
S1-S3	Winner	Pranay Neppalli	Craigmount High	Telugu
S1-S3	Highly commended	Filip Strzalka	Craigmount High	Polish
S4-S6	Winner	Chancelvie Bembo	St Benedicts	French
S4-S6	Highly commended	Lovely Selwyn	Bishopbriggs Academy	Tamil
Other Tongue	Award	Pupil	School	Language
P1-P4	Winner	Abbie Rettie	Goodlyburn Primary	Gaelic
	Highly commended	Haroon Majid	Braidbar Primary	French
	Highly commended	Stephanie Mackay-Watt	Goodlyburn Primary	Gaelic
P5-P7	Winner	Isobel Ross	Braidbar Primary	BSL
P5-P7	Highly commended	Evelina Finkova	Goodlyburn Primary	Gaelic
S1-S3	Winner	Rona Bryden	Loudoun Academy	German
	Highly commended	Anna d’Alessio	Bishopbriggs Academy	Italian
	Highly commended	Alistair Hillis	Jordanhill	Mandarin
S4-S6	Winner	Lewis Fleming	St Thomas Aquinas	Spanish
	Highly commended	Anya Jarvis	Loudoun Academy	French
	Highly commended	Ellie McGill	Carrick Academy	French

All pupils will receive a certificate and book token. Winning entrants will also receive a trophy as well as the opportunity for their poems to feature in The Children's Poetry Archive and Kids Poetry Club podcast. We will be in contact with schools shortly about taking these extra special opportunities forward.

It is our intention to host each of these poems on the SCILT website and we'll announce when these are available.

Congratulations again to all our finalists!

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, All Languages, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, Minority Languages, Mother Tongue, SCILT news

Glasgow Film Festival 2021

23 February 2021 (Glasgow Film Festival)

Glasgow is one of the friendliest film festivals on the planet with a wide-ranging programme that celebrates every corner of world cinema and provides a fantastic showcase for the best of Scottish film. The 2021 edition will take place from Wednesday 24 February to Sunday 7 March.

There are several foreign language screenings available for learners to practise listening skills.

If you haven't already secured your tickets, visit the website for full programme details and buy now.

Arabic, Roma and Spanish on offer as Bhasha Glasgow Language Festival events revealed

18 February 2021 (Glasgow Evening Times)

From learning a few words to communicate with Roma neighbours to finding out more about British Sign Language - the Bhasha Glasgow language festival has lots to offer lockdown learners.

Now in its third year, the event takes place online from February 21 to 27.

A celebration of the city’s many languages and the people who speak them, this year’s festival is being hosted by the Thriving Places Govanhill initiative.

The week is jam packed with free daily activities that will explore Glasgow’s linguistic heritage and the vital role of its multilingual citizens, including quizzes, interactive language sessions, talks, and a radio show.

Concours de la Francophonie 2021

18 February 2021 (Institut français)

The Institut français d’Ecosse launches le Concours de la Francophonie, a national school competition to encourage all young French learners and their teachers around Scotland and to celebrate the international day of la francophonie.

The competition is open to all Scottish primary and secondary schools offering French. Enter by submitting a short video of classroom activity in French by 15 March 2021.

Visit the Institut français d’Ecosse website for more information.

Mandarin for BGE 2021

18 February 2021 (CISS)

Do you want to include Mandarin in your school's curriculum but don't currently have the resources? CISS is offering 10 week blocks of live-streamed language and culture classes for Primary P5-P7 and Secondary S1-S3 to start in August 2021.

Further information can be found in the attached flyer. Register interest by 12 March 2021.

Related Files

Mandarin for BGE 2021 (1.15 MB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Chinese, Scotland, Language Learning, Language Teaching, National Qualifications, CISS news

Scottish island launches search for new Gaelic song to help prevent language from dying out

14 February 2021 (The Scotsman)

The Isle of Gigha, off the west coast of Kintyre, wants to commission a new song that can also be learned by non-Gaelic speakers who currently live there.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press

Madame Jacqueline Munro-Lafon essay competition

11 February 2021 (SCILT/Franco-Scottish Society Scotland)

Jacqueline Munro-Lafon essay competition flyer

In honour of Madame Jacqueline Munro-Lafon’s long and active life in the Franco-Scottish Community, the Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland wish to award an essay prize in her name this year to mark her one hundredth birthday.

This competition is aimed at Advanced Higher learners of French. All essay submissions must present a reflection on life and society from 1921 to 2021 in France and Scotland, to take into account Madame Munro-Lafon’s life and interests.

The winning entry will be awarded a prize of £500, and their essay will also be published in the annual Bulletin of the Franco-Scottish Society. Two runner-up prizes of £100 will be awarded by SCILT.

A maximum of three entries can be submitted from each school. Register your interest for your school to get involved by 5pm on 1 March.

Visit the Eventbrite webpage for further information and how to register.

Vacancy: German-speaking Assistant Consultant

8 February 2021 (British Council)

The Language Assistants team at the British Council is looking for a German-speaking Assistant Consultant to start work in late March, early April. Candidates must be comfortable using German in the workplace and have experience of living in a German-speaking country. The job will be based in the British Council’s Edinburgh office, although all work will be done from home until COVID-19 lockdown restrictions are eased and it is safe to return to the office.

Visit the website for the full job description and apply by 16 February 2021.

Posted in: German, Scotland, Careers, News from language & education organisations

SCILT Lessons from Lockdown Learning

4 February 2021 (SCILT)

During the first period of lockdown last year, from early May until the end of June, SCILT delivered a series of online live language classes which were open to learners across Scotland. With the help of feedback from learners and parents, and the input of external observers, we have examined and evaluated this online learning and teaching experience, and in the report, we share these evaluations and the key lessons learned during this time. We hope that it might prove helpful to teachers in the planning and delivery of online lessons.

We would also love to hear from you! We would really value your thoughts about your experiences of online teaching and any suggestions that you have, either for Professional Learning or support which we could provide, or advice that you would wish to pass on to fellow practitioners. Get in touch at scilt@strath.ac.uk!

Read SCILT Lessons from Lockdown – A review of online learning and teaching

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, All Languages, Scotland, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Methodologies, SCILT news

CISS Nat 4, Nat 5 and Higher online Mandarin offer 2021-2022

2 February 2021 (CISS)

CISS is happy to be able to share the first details of our offer of live-streamed Mandarin NQ classes for the upcoming 2021-22 session. This will allow schools to expand their provision for Mandarin, particularly those who do not have access to a GTCS registered teacher of Mandarin and who have, therefore, been unable to offer NQ classes. The following details will allow these courses to be added to course choice forms. The official start date is still to be decided and will be confirmed as soon as circumstances allow.

Please register your school’s interest now

The offer consists of three courses: National 4, National 5 and Higher.

National 4
Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
14.00-15.00		14.00-15.00	9.30 – 10.30
National 5
Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
	14.00-15.00		14.00-15.00	9.30 – 10.30
Higher
Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
9.30 – 10.30	15.00-16.00	9.30 – 10.30	15.00-16.00	14.00-15.00

Please read carefully the following information:

Learners can access the course from at school or at home. All they will require is access to the internet and their Glow account. All assessments will need to be undertaken in school under controlled conditions, supervised by a teacher.
The online teacher is PVG checked and GTCS registered. She will provide and mark all teaching and assessment materials, and gather evidence of learners’ attainment. Schools will be responsible for:

obtaining approval to present these qualifications from SQA
presenting candidates for the relevant SQA qualifications
administering exams
ensuring that any assessment arrangements to which pupils are entitled are in place.

A designated GTCS class teacher must be assigned to support the delivery of Mandarin in your school. This teacher will be responsible for:

attendance and supervision of learners for each lesson
regular liaison with the GTCS Mandarin teacher via email/ virtual face-to-face conversation
co-ordinating reporting to parents
accessing and distributing class materials on Glow and uploading pupil work.
facilitating assessments.

The class teachers will not have responsibility for language teaching. However, there is an expectation that they will help facilitate the learning. They will also require time to deal with the administration associated with the course(s). This, therefore, requires a timetabled commitment from a member of staff.

Teaching materials, resources and assessments will be available for download.

Once notes of interest have been collated, further details will follow. An online meeting will be arranged for all participating schools. This will give an opportunity for staff to network with each other and to clarify any questions they may have.

Please get in touch at ciss-info@strath.ac.uk should you require additional, specific information.

Posted in: Senior Phase, Chinese, Scotland, Language Learning, National Qualifications, CISS news

Shettleston, Gartnavel, Auchenshuggle - the Gaelic influences on Glasgow place names

31 January 2021 (Glasgow Evening Times)

Gaelic was once a significant local language in Glasgow and its environs and there is still evidence of its influence today.

Often, some of the earliest evidence of the language spoken in a particular area can be found in its place names - take Shettleston, for example, or Baile Nighean Seadna (Seadna’s daughter’s farm), linking the area to a Gaelic-speaking woman of around 1170, or Gartnavel and Auchenshuggle - the Gaelic word ‘gart’ means farm, while ‘auch’ comes from achadh meaning ‘field’ or ‘farm’.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press

Dundee Scots: ‘We have to make sure the language keeps going otherwise the Dundee essence will pass away’

31 January 2021 (The Courier)

Michael Alexander speaks tae twa weel-kent faces fae Dundee’s cultural scene – Alistair Heather and Sheena Wellington – who have launched free online sessions helping participants develop their understanding of Dundee’s Scots language.

For Dundee born and bred traditional singer Sheena Wellington, the Scots language has always been an important part of life.

Coming from a family of weavers, the 76-year old former Blackness Primary and Harris Academy pupil was brought up in a Dundee Scots speaking household.

Yet despite being surrounded by her Dundee Scots speaking father, grannies and aunts at home, she vividly remembers being discouraged from speaking her mither tongue in school.

Speaking removed from modern languages qualifications

29 January 2021 (TESS)

Modern languages teachers have hit out at Scotland’s exam body over its decision not to assess students' ability to speak the language they are learning as part of the Advanced Higher qualification this year.

In the most recent guidance produced by the Scottish Qualifications Authority, published last week, modern languages teachers have been told that, at Advanced Higher level, they are to base their teacher-estimated grades on reading, translation, listening and writing, but not on their students' ability to speak the language.

Modern languages teachers who spoke to Tes Scotland described the move as a “dumbing down” of the qualification, arguing that the key skill for a linguist to acquire is the ability to communicate.

New French and Spanish reading resources

28 January 2021 (Radio Lingua)

As we continue through these interesting times of online learning, we are delighted to announce that we will be sharing with teachers a free reading resource each day starting on Monday 1 February. Each cultural text will have accompanying comprehension questions, a translation challenge and an audio file , as well as an answer grid. These texts will be available on the RLN Education website, but each day the link to the new text will be posted on our Facebook page here. We hope you find them a useful addition to your online resources and your learners enjoy the cultural content.

Languages Week Scotland 2021 - Using film to teach languages

21 January 2021 (Screen Scotland)

Screen Scotland has put together a resource for Languages Week Scotland 2021 on using film to teach languages. See the attached document. There's also a Microsoft Team available to join for all subject teachers looking to teach with film: Screen Scotland: Film Education

Related Files

Languages Week Scotland 2021 - Using Film to Teach Languages (504 KB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, All Languages, Scotland, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Methodologies, Resources, News from language & education organisations

SCILT professional learning leaflet

21 January 2021 (SCILT)

SCILT offers a wide range of professional learning opportunities for pre- and in-service teachers. Primary, secondary. Synchronous, asynchronous. One off, ongoing. Check out our updated CLPL flyer for all the details you need. Download and share with colleagues in your next virtual staff meeting.

Like you, our friendly primary and secondary Professional Development Officers are working online from home at the moment. Make a booking or send a query to scilt@strath.ac.uk with CLPL in the subject line. Alternatively, go direct to the Professional Learning area of the website to browse some more.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

SCILT Live Lessons for Senior Phase Learners

14 January 2021 (SCILT/eSgoil)

During the current lockdown, SCILT is delighted to support our partners at eSgoil by offering live language lessons. These will be available to all Senior Phase learners in Scotland – learners can register through the eSgoil website.

Daytime Study Support

Higher French – Thursdays at 11.15
National 5 French – Tuesdays at 11.15
Higher Spanish – Tuesdays at 14.15
National 5 Spanish – Wednesdays at 09.30

You can register for Daytime Study Support Sessions here- http://www.e-sgoil.com/daytimestudysupport2020/

SCILT is continuing to offer evening support sessions for Advanced Higher:

Advanced Higher Spanish – Wednesdays at 17.00
Advanced Higher French – Thursdays at 17.00

You can register for Evening Study Support Sessions here - http://www.e-sgoil.com/studysupport2020/

eSgoil is offering a wide range of support for learners of all ages throughout lockdown, and SCILT is proud to support them and Scotland’s educational community through these challenging times.

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, Language Teaching, SCILT news

Engage with the wider school community and develop blended learning

12 January 2021 (PowerLanguage)

In order to support Schools and their wider communities, we have created a new package to help with home learning.

Our PowerLanguage Online Course for Families - available in French or Spanish - has been successfully running in many parts of Scotland since 2016. It was designed to develop the partnership between Schools, pupils and the wider community. Parents and carers can embark on a meaningful and exciting language journey shared by all family members!

The course is accessible online or through an App. It contains 6 lessons which follow a gentle progression, reinforcing the key language introduced in Primary Schools.
In each lesson, new structures are presented in French or Spanish, as well as in English, by a native tutor or in an animation. Watch an extract on Vimeo or Youtube
The cultural podcasts introduce slices of French/Spanish life and focus on playground games, songs, special monuments and various landscapes. Small tasks are attached to each video. Watch an extract on Vimeo or Youtube.
Families can assess their progress through short challenges at the end of each lesson. One of the 3 challenges can be delivered at School, thus reinforcing the link between School and home learning.

A case study on the impact of this Course on families and schools was produced in Scotland in 2016 by Scotland’s National Centre for Languages (SCILT).

You can also watch this video to see the impact of our Course for Families on a school and its wider community in Western Australia.

Cost: in order to make the Course available to all, a licence can be bought by the School and shared with their wider community. The annual cost is £100 per course (French or Spanish). Schools can also buy the course for a one-off fee of £500 per course for indefinite use. (Schools who have previously purchased this Course used some of their PEF funding to cover the cost).

Level: The course is available in French or Spanish for primary school learners and their families who are beginners/post beginners.

Scottish Schools may wish to launch this Course in advance of Languages Week Scotland (1-5 February 2021).

Please contact us info@powerlanguage.net to find out more or visit our website.

La Jolie Ronde French and Spanish Free Trials

11 January 2021 (La Jolie Ronde)

During Languages Week Scotland, 1-5 February 2021, FREE TRIALS will be available of La Jolie Ronde's two award winning French and Spanish resources.

La Jolie Ronde Languages for Children is a leading early language learning organisation offering a proven method of teaching young children French and Spanish. La Jolie Ronde’s award winning programmes are unique, modern and of the highest quality. FREE TRIALS on their resources are available as follows:

Little Languages Resource (P1-P3)
French and Spanish Resource (P4-P7)
French or Spanish free taster Online class

For more information email schools@lajolieronde.co.uk

#scotlandloveslanguages

SEET's Our World project update

11 January 2021 (SEET)

Due to the new lockdown measures introduced by the Scottish Government on 4 January, including the closure of schools, SEET have pushed back the storyboard submission deadline to Friday 5 February 2021. They have also adapted the project and expanded the project's reach by increasing participation options for home learning and accommodating for both individual and group participation. Please see below for a summary of the changes:

S1-6 may take part in 2021, not only S3-6 pupils.
Storyboard submission deadline extended to Friday 5 February 2021 (extra 3 weeks)
Accompanying video/audio clip explaining the storyboard is now optional. Storyboard and links to SDG theme and languages must be clear if no additional description is provided.
We are accepting storyboard entries from teams AND entries from individual pupils if pupil collaboration is no longer possible. More guidance on team participation available.
We will be able to invite more pupils to take part in the filmmaking stage, as we are no longer limited to in-person venue workshop capacity.
Creation of password protected online portal to support pupils through the filmmaking stages. This will include video tutorials from filmmakers, written guidance and tutorials, resources, and clear instructions for pupils.

Visit the SEET website for more information about the Our World project.

Languages Week Scotland

7 January 2021 (SCILT)

Languages Week Scotland 2021 will take place during the week 1–5 February. The theme is ‘Celebrating Scotland’s languages landscape’ and the aim is to amplify the voices of people, organisations and events that celebrate multilingualism and the many ways it manifests in Scottish communities.

Follow the hashtag #scotlandloveslanguages or the dedicated Twitter account @LangsWeekScot to find out what is happening or to share anything you will do with your learners to mark the week.

Schools can download the Languages Week Scotland logo from the SCILT website (Resources for Languages Week Scotland). Please add to emails and other promotional materials to show your support.

Keep your eye out for daily challenges from 1-5 February, which will engage learners whether in the classroom or at home.

Posted in: All Languages, Scotland, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, SCILT news

French oral revision courses

7 January 2021 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française Glasgow is running online revision courses during January and February for those scheduled to sit Higher and Advanced Higher French exams in 2021.

Visit the website for more information and to enrol.

The Big Read: From Gaelic-only housing to second homes, the fight to save a language

26 December 2020 (The Herald)

Gaelic is in crisis. As a community language, it could die out within a decade.

That was the stark conclusion of a book-length study published in the summer.

But momentum is building to reverse this decline, and those at the top are open to radical proposals.

Scotland’s Finance Secretary Kate Forbes told The Herald she would support the idea of housing developments reserved for Gaelic speakers.

She fears parts of the Highlands and islands could become retirement villages or ghost towns amid a rise in second homes.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press

Euroquiz 2021

8 December 2020 (SEET)

Have you registered your teams for the Scottish European Educational Trust (SEET) Euroquiz competition? The annual project is open to all P6 pupils across Scotland, which sees teams of four working together to broaden their knowledge of Europe and the wider world. Subjects covered include languages, history, geography, culture and European affairs. Heats take place in local authorities from January to March, with the winning teams from all areas progressing to the National Euroquiz Final held in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament in June.

Visit the SEET website for more information and to register.

Mathématiques sans Frontières

7 December 2020 (University of the West of Scotland)

The University of the West of Scotland (UWS) is again organising the world-wide Maths and Language competition “Mathématiques sans Frontières” in Scotland.

You are invited to participate in this stimulating and light-hearted competition which combines Mathematics and Modern Languages and aims to motivate pupils in these subjects, promote teamwork, and bridge borders.

Please find attached a training test for “Mathématiques Sans Frontières”, and one entry form for the competition proper.

S4 classes should attempt 10 questions and S5 classes 13 questions. A whole class should attempt the test with questions divided up between groups to ensure that the questions can be completed in the allotted time of 90 minutes. Question one will require an explanation in a foreign language. We hope that this encourages cross-curricular working and teamwork. Answers are also attached, in French, another opportunity for teamwork in the translation.

The competition proper will be held on Thursday 11 March 2021. The prize-giving will be held in June (hopefully!) at UWS when the achievements of the top ten schools at each level are recognised. All schools competing will receive a certificate.

Schools who would like to register for the competition are kindly requested to complete the proforma attached and return by 29 January 2021.

We will send out the actual test as a PDF file by e-mail on the Friday prior to the test. This has proved to be very popular and we intend continuing to issue the test in this format. We would therefore kindly ask you to ensure that the e-mail address provided is legible or, preferably, typed. It would also be beneficial to provide an alternative e-mail address, possibly a personal address, which may help prevent firewall issues.

Discovering China is back!

3 December 2020 (CISS)

Posted in: Primary, Chinese, Scotland, Language Learning, CISS news

Oral revision courses 2021

30 November 2020 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow is holding special online Revision Courses in January/February for pupils who are due to sit their Higher and Advanced Higher oral examinations in 2021.

Visit the website for more information and to book.

Changes to Visiting Assessment Arrangements for National Qualifications

26 November 2020 (SQA)

SQA has reviewed its visiting assessment arrangements for Advanced Higher Gàidhlig performance-talking and Modern Languages performance-talking assessments in session 2020–21.

Visit the SQA website for more information.

Spikkin Scots: Listen to the different dialects of Scotland with our interactive map

25 November 2020 (Press and Journal)

With voices changing every 20 miles, it’s difficult to quantify exactly how many dialects come under the Scots language umbrella.

But a rough count suggests lucky number 13, divided up as Orkney, Shetland, Caithness, Black Isle, Moray, Aberdeenshire, South Northern (South Kincardineshire and Northern Angus), North-East Central, East Central, West Central, South Central, Boarders and Ulster (yep, Scots made it over the water to Ireland too with Irish Gaelic).

Inverness and the Outer Hebrides may seem curiously absent from this list. But as these regions were predominantly Gaelic speaking areas, the Scots language didn’t take hold with the same intensity, meaning there’s no specific Scots dialect recorded for these regions – though we have included them on the map here for comparison.

The article also includes links to other features in the Spikkin Scots series.

Posted in: Scotland, Northern Ireland, Languages in the press, Scots

SEET's Our World project

24 November 2020 (SEET)

SEET's logo

The Scottish European Educational Trust (SEET) have launched their annual Our World language learning and filmmaking project. With a specific focus on building a sense of gobal citizenship and cultural understanding amongst participants, the project asks S3-S6 pupils to create multilingual films based on topical issues. Teams of 4 have the chance to create their films at an online workshop with professional filmmakers on hand to provide assistance and practical filmmaking tuition. Films must include at least one language other than English, and should be based on, this year, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

If you are interested in entering a team or multiple teams, please sign up here and ensure your pupils send us a storyboard of their film idea by the revised deadline of January 15th, 2021. Tons more information available on SEET's website, or by emailing alex@seet.org.uk. We look forward to receiving entries!

The Language Ambassadors

19 November 2020 (University of Strathclyde)

photo of the Language Ambassadors

The Language Ambassadors are back……and they have gone VIRTUAL!

Get your pupils involved to discover the joys of learning and being able to use another language by organising a Virtual Language Ambassadors visit to your school!

Our Language Ambassadors are students of French, Italian or Spanish, on various degrees, including BA Honours in French and Spanish, International Business and a Modern Language, Law and a Language but also Engineering and Science degrees.

This programme is free of charge and provides student role models to promote languages to young people and encourage your pupils to choose languages as part of their high school curriculum.

We can deliver a range of activities online, such as:

A virtual presentation about their experiences as university language learners and their experiences abroad;
Q&A sessions about the benefits of studying a language;
A small group discussion for Senior phase students who have already selected a language;
Micro-presentations as part of a school-wide event

From Harris to Hamilton, from Orkney to Paisley, book a virtual visit today by completing our request form!

If you have any questions about The Language Ambassadors programme, please contact Cédric Moreau.

Fèis Rois launches new songwriting project for young Gaels passionate about the environment

18 November 2020 (The Herald)

Young Gaelic speakers who have a passion for the environment and a talent for songwriting could have their chance to shine, thanks to a new songwriting project launched by Highland arts organisation, Fèis Rois.

The competition, which is open to applicants until November, Monday 23, is calling on budding Gaelic songwriters from secondary schools across the Highlands to come up with new Gaelic material, connected to the environment and Scotland's landscape.

Fèis Rois, an arts organisation based in Dingwall, Ross-shire, has collaborated with NatureScot to launch 'Caithream na Cruinne', aimed at emerging Gaelic songwriters who take their inspiration from nature and the current environmental challenges.

Our World film making project

12 November 2020 (SEET)

SEET logo

The Scottish European Educational Trust (SEET) have launched their annual Our World language learning and filmmaking project.

Open to all S3-6 pupils across Scotland, teams of 4 have the chance to create films at a workshop (remotely this year!) with professional filmmakers on hand to help them and provide practical filmmaking tuition. As always, films must include at least one language other than English, and should be based on a set theme, which this year is the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

If you are interested in entering a team or multiple teams, please sign up here and ensure your pupils send us a storyboard of their film idea by the deadline of 18 December 2020.

There is lots more information available on SEET's website, or by emailing alex@seet.org.uk. We look forward to receiving entries!

IDL and languages in primary: November Bitesize

11 November 2020 (SCILT)

SCILT's monthly Bitesize drop-ins are free, themed virtual events that are open to teachers and student teachers working in Scotland. Drop-ins are an opportunity to share your thoughts on that month’s Bitesize resource and/or share your own experience on the theme.

The November Bitesize event looks at examples of using an IDL approach to support language teaching and learning in the primary classroom.

Visit our Bitesize webpage to find out more about the session taking place on Wednesday 25 November and to register.

SQA Modern Languages course reports

9 November 2020 (SQA)

Advanced Higher course reports for the 2019 diet have been added to the SQA website for Gaelic (Learners), German and Spanish.

Edinburgh considers sites for Gaelic-language school

7 November 2020 (The Times)

Plans to create a dedicated Gaelic secondary school in Edinburgh have been boosted by a surge of interest from parents keen for their children to become immersed in the language.

Councillors have begun a consultation on where the facility should be located after committing to turning the project into a reality.

The Glasgow Gaelic School regularly outperforms every other secondary in the city, with half of sixth-years achieving five or more Highers. It is hoped that a new minority language school in the capital would mirror its success.

(Note - subscription required to access full article).

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press

National 5 Modern Languages - Guidance on gathering key evidence for producing estimates in session 2020–21

6 November 2020 (SQA)

The SQA has produced a document providing subject-level guidance to SQA approved centres on gathering key evidence to support estimates for National 5 Modern Languages in session 2020–21.

You should read this guidance alongside National Courses: guidance on gathering evidence and producing estimates and the SQA Academy resource, Quality assurance of estimates for National Courses (links are contained in the publication).

This document also includes information on subject-level assessment resources. Available now to view online.

4 top tips for using Scots language in the classroom

30 October 2020 (TES)

Student Len Pennie – better known online as Miss Punny Pennie – has become an internet star with videos that share a Scots language word of the day. One of her most popular videos, in which she recites her poem I'm No Havin' Children (see below), has been viewed nearly 250,000 times on Twitter.

Here are her four top tips for using Scots in school.

(Subscription required to access full article).

Posted in: Scotland, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Languages in the press, Scots

Bòrd na Gàidhlig calls on young people to help guide Gaelic into a new era

30 October 2020 (Bòrd na Gàidhlig)

Gaelic organisations are asking young people across the country to stand up and be heard as Bòrd na Gàidhlig launch opportunities for their voices to be listened to.

BnG will be running online surveys for young people based on their opinions and ideas for Gaelic usage and how to increase this within their communities.

The two surveys, which will be distributed to schools and community groups, are for Primary 5-7, Secondary pupils S1-S6 and for school leavers. The surveys will run until 15 November as the Gaelic development body collates opinions critical to the future of the language and how young people can help contribute to this across Scotland.

More information can be found on the attached press release or by visiting the Bòrd na Gàidhlig website.

Related Files

BnG survey_Dàmhair 20_G + B (195 KB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, Gaelic, Scotland, Language Learning, Promoting Languages, News from language & education organisations

Learn French with Alliance Française Glasgow

28 October 2020 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow provides a range of language learning opportunities for adults and children. Follow the appropriate link below to find out more about forthcoming classes:

Free taster sessions (5 & 10 November) - If you have reservations about joining an online class, we are offering free taster sessions so you can find out all the necessary information on how our current classes are being run before enrolling for a course.
Adult classes (commencing 16 November) - Enrolling now for the next term.
l’heure du conte (10 November and 8 December) - Join us to hear our librarian’s historiettes/short stories, comfortably wrapped in a blanket at home with your little ones. Free and suitable for all.

Visit the Alliance Française Glasgow website to discover the full range of activities and events on offer.

Book Week Scotland 2020

28 October 2020 (Scottish Book Trust)

Book Week Scotland is an annual celebration of books and reading, supported by Creative Scotland and SLIC. This year's Book Week Scotland will be taking place from 16 to 22 November 2020.

The programme of events is now available. All are taking place online and whilst most are free to attend, the events are ticketed so make sure you book in advance.

As always, there's a selection of readings and events which will appeal to linguists. This year's collection of stories and poems on the subject of Future contains entries in Scots and Gaelic and the e-book is now available to download. For younger learners you can always access the Authors on Demand session exploring The Gruffalo in Scots and Gaelic.

New drive to bring Arabic into Scottish schools

27 October 2020 (TES)

A new initiative aims to bring the teaching of Arabic into both primary and secondary schools in Scotland.

This week the Scottish primaries involved in a new programme offering an insight into Arabic language and culture will receive boxes of Arabic artefacts, such as books, scarves, musical instruments and tea sets.

Scottish schools are open but movement in and out of buildings remains restricted as a result of Covid-19. Scilt, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages, has, however, found a way to bring the wider world to pupils at a time when their ability to travel is also much reduced.

The centre, based at the University of Strathclyde, is offering an insight into Arabic language and culture in 15 primary and secondary schools around Scotland. The courses include online lessons from native-speaking teachers of Arabic in the UK and link-ups with native Arabic speakers overseas.

The centre was keen to make the experience tangible, hence the delivery of the boxes.

Scilt director Fhiona Mackay says: “It’s really important that we encourage diversity in language learning. That’s what the 1+2 approach to language learning [in Scotland] should be all about – particularly language three should be an opportunity to explore languages that otherwise children would not be exposed to. It is absolutely right that they should have the chance to experience a language that does not have the same script or alphabet as Latin or Germanic-based languages.

“We also wanted to make sure that children were getting a view of the Arabic world that was not about war, terrorism or refugees. We wanted them to see there is something quite wonderful about this ancient civilisation and help them relate that back to their own experience in Scotland.”

The courses offer learners the chance to explore the secular culture of Arabic nations and to receive a grounding in the Arabic language, which is a first language in more than 20 countries and the fifth most widely spoken in the world.

Learning in Gaelic helps improve English

26 October 2020 (The Herald)

It is the secret to learning good English – go to a Gaelic school.

Research has shown that learning in a minority language makes you better at speaking a global one.

Scientists have long known that being bilingual in two major languages – such as Spanish and French or German and Russian – helps develop cognitive abilities.

A study led by Heriot-Watt associate professor Maria Garraffa has now compared the English of monolingual children with those who were immersed in Gaelic Medium Education (GME).

Ms Garraffa, a native Italian, and her team found the GME youngsters outperformed those taught in English – in English.

Writing in the Times Educational Supplement, Ms Garraffa said: “The research revealed that speaking Gaelic does not affect the ability to speak well in English and that being bilingual actually improves competency. We found bilingual pupils are better in complex language in English and also have better concentration, as reported in other studies on bilingualism.

“We clearly proved the positive effects of bilingualism are not contingent upon learning a global, widely spoken language, like French or Spanish, but are also true when it comes to a small heritage language like Gaelic.”

Gaelic language expected to die out in a decade, but can it be saved?

23 October 2020 (Channel 5 News)

Scottish Gaelic is a language which is set to die out in the next decade. The University of the Highlands and Islands says only 11,000 people can speak it, most over the age of 50. So how can it be saved?

See the Channel 5 video report on YouTube.

BSL: New case study alert!

23 October 2020 (SCILT)

SCILT is delighted to announce the publication of its new case study on engaging parents with languages. This study, in conjunction with Education Scotland, highlights how Moorfoot Primary and Garvel Deaf Centre in Gourock support parents of deaf and hearing children with learning BSL. It provides insightful information on how BSL features greatly within the school, in addition to the other languages taught. Parents, pupils and staff share their experience of using and learning BSL and emphasise the value, significance and importance of all language learning and the impact it can have locally and beyond.

Languages Week Scotland - save the date!

23 October 2020 (SCILT)

We are pleased to announce that Languages Week Scotland 2021 will run from 1 - 5 February 2021. The theme is "Celebrating Scotland’s languages landscape" and we hope that schools and learners, universities and colleges, businesses and social enterprises, community and arts organisations across the country will join with us in celebrating the many languages learned and spoken in Scotland!

Follow the hashtag #scotlandloveslanguages for all the latest news, and don't forget to use this hashtag to share how you celebrate.

Posted in: Scotland, Celebrating Languages

Scottish pupils among top performers in new Pisa test

22 October 2020 (TES)

Recent Pisa results have brought bad news for Scotland but a new test suggests students are being well equipped to deal with globalisation.

Scottish pupils are among the most likely in the developed world to understand and appreciate the perspective of others, demonstrate some of the most positive attitudes towards immigrants, and score highly on a test that assesses the ability to evaluate information and analyse multiple perspectives.

Students from 27 countries and economies, including Scotland, took part in Pisa’s 2018 assessment of global competence, which included a test focusing on three areas: the ability to evaluate information, formulate arguments and explain issues and situations; to identify and analyse multiple perspectives; and to evaluate actions and consequences.

[..] Dr Tarek Mostafa, the policy analyst in the OECD Directorate for Education and Skills who was in charge of the global competence report, told Tes Scotland: “The main takeaway messages from the report are: students in Scotland have very positive attitudes towards immigrants and when it comes to respect for people from other cultures. In addition to this, they perform well on the global competence cognitive test and Scotland is among the three top-ranking countries on the test.”

[..] “For the other indices, students report values close to the OECD average,” he added.

Scottish pupils were also among the least likely to speak several languages: 64.5 per cent of Scottish pupils said they did not learn foreign languages at school, which was around five times the OECD average of 11.7 per cent.

(Note - subscription required to access full article).

Secondary school Gaelic immersion study reports positive effects of bilingualism on language and cognition

20 October 2020 (Bòrd na Gàidhlig)

A ground-breaking study into how Gaelic is perceived by secondary school pupils and how it develops their linguistic and cognitive skills found significant benefits of speaking the language alongside a global language such as English.

The immersion study, funded by Bord na Gàidhlig, was led by Dr Maria Garraffa and a team from Heriot-Watt University, together with Prof Bernadette O’Rourke from University of Glasgow and Prof Antonella Sorace from the University of Edinburgh.

They worked together with senior pupils from The Glasgow Gaelic School, the largest provider of Gaelic medium education in Scotland, to find out how our younger generation of Gaelic speakers view and use the language. It examined for the first time particularly whether older teenagers, after 15 years of education in Gaelic, continued to speak Gaelic or what might lead them to stop.

The research revealed that speaking Gaelic does not affect the ability to speak well in English – and that being bilingual provides more opportunities for those fluent in both.

Tutoring sessions - Higher French & Advanced Higher Spanish

19 October 2020 (Language Learning Scotland)

Language Learning Scotland has added free drop-in tutoring sessions for Higher French and Advanced Higher Spanish to their offering. Open to S5/S6 students these sessions begin week commencing 19 October 2020.

Visit the website to find out more and to sign up.

The Glasgow teacher who has led Gaelic education surge

18 October 2020 (The Herald)

The head teacher who has overseen a surge in demand for Gaelic Medium Education in Glasgow has said her own childhood experience of English-only lessons as a native speaker fuelled efforts to improve access to the language in schools.

Donalda McComb will now say “Beannach Leibh” to teaching after 34 years and heading up the city’s first joint campus, which combines a nursery, primary and secondary that was ranked ninth best performing high in this year’s league tables.

Glasgow is home to the largest number of Gaelic speakers outwith the Highlands and Islands, a mix of native speakers who move for university or jobs and those coming through Gaelic medium education (GME) or learning independently.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Language Learning, Languages in the press

Edinburgh Napier is third university in Scotland to cut their foreign language programme

5 October 2020 (Edinburgh Evening News)

Deeming their language courses as “economically unsustainable”, Napier will terminate the teaching of French, Spanish and German from the beginning of the next academic year.

The announcement comes amid warnings of an “intellectual Brexit” in higher education and a drastic cut in income to higher education institutions due to the Covid-19 pandemic..

The changes will see Napier follow in the footsteps of fellow Edinburgh-based University, Heriot Watt, who are to launch an external review of their language programmes, despite their Scotland-leading position in translation. Meanwhile, Dundee University announced it will drop its German programmes.

Class acts: three lockdown teaching stars discuss being back in school

3 October 2020 (The Guardian)

Staff who made headlines for their dedication during closures talk about the joy of reuniting with pupils and the impact of more restrictions.

[..] When James Innes, AKA the “Joe Wicks for French”, made the decision to share videos of his French lessons online over lockdown, he had no idea that he would return to his school a YouTube sensation.

'Teachers key to development of Gaelic language in Scotland' claim as new three-year plan unveiled

2 October 2020 (Ross-shire Journal)

The vital role of teachers in the promotion of the Gaelic language in Scotland is acknowledged in a new three-year plan.

The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTC Scotland) has launched its revised Gaelic Language Plan.

The plan sets out four key commitments:

To raise awareness of Gaelic as a language and to support its use through integrated communications.
To support the development of learning and teaching in Gaelic throughout Scotland.
To encourage growth of the Gaelic language both within GTC Scotland and externally.
To promote and support teacher professional development in the Gaelic language.

It complements the National Gaelic Language Plan which aims to promote the language and culture in Scotland. It outlines the need to explore new routes to promote, recruit, educate and retain the Gaelic education workforce and review existing routes into the profession.

And it acknowledges the role GTC Scotland has to play in addressing these challenges.

Autumn immersion week

1 October 2020 (Language Learning Scotland)

Calling all S5 and S6 Modern Languages students studying French, German Spanish and Mandarin. From 12-16 October 2020, Language Learning Scotland is running a virtual language immersion week. Come along to learn more about the culture, the course and so much more!

Meet like-minded language lovers and hear talks from native young people and industry professionals. Get help and advice on navigating your way through Higher and Advanced Higher with tips for memorising grammar and vocabulary.

Visit the LLS website for more information and to apply.

eSgoil study support webinars

1 October 2020 (eSgoil/SCILT)

SCILT is proud to partner with colleagues at e-Sgoil in order to offer additional support to sixth year language learners.

Free live webinar lessons for young people studying Advanced Higher French and Spanish are available on line for eight weeks from the beginning of November.

Advanced Higher Spanish

Wednesdays 5 pm from 4 November 2020

Advanced Higher French

Thursdays 5 pm from 5 November 2020

Going by the response to previous live-streamed lessons, interest is likely to be high. Please encourage young people to sign up as quickly as possible to guarantee their place. They will need their pupil Glow login details and Scottish Candidate Number to register.

More information and the registration link can be found on the eSgoil website.

MTOT is back!

1 October 2020 (SCILT)

SCILT is delighted to announce the launch of Mother Tongue Other Tongue 2020-21! This exciting competition is now open, and we want to find the next generation of young multilingual poets in Scotland. The competition has been redesigned to suit our new digital era, and we are inviting young people to submit entries focussing on the spoken word. Videos, sound files, voiceovers, narrated presentations – whatever format fits best, we want to hear the voices of young linguists showcasing their language and poetry skills. It’s a great time to get involved with the creative side of language learning, so visit our MTOT webpages to find out more.

Misneachd: Gaelic campaign group launches radical manifesto ahead of Holyrood election

30 September 2020 (The Herald)

A Gaelic campaign group has published a new manifesto urging Scotland’s political parties to embrace radical measures to reverse the decline of the language.

Misneachd is calling for controls on second homes and consideration of Gaelic-speaking housing developments alongside a raft of other proposals.

It said a new government-backed target should aim for all those living in the Western Isles to be able to speak at least some Gaelic.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press

Alive and kicking: From Billy Connolly to Robert Burns – author Robin Crawford says the Scots tongue is alive & well

30 September 2020 (The Scottish Sun)

Author Robin Crawford has charted 1,000 uniquely Scots words that have been used from the era of Robert Burns to the modern world of Twitter.

The 56-year-old, from Auchtermuchty, Fife, wanted to record both old and new language that is still in everyday use for his new book Cauld Blasts and Clishmaclavers.

And he also set out to highlight the different regional phrases used around Scotland.

He said: “Many people use the word ‘rovies’ for slippers whereas in Fife I would say ‘baffies’. But every region, in fact probably every family, has their own words. That’s what helps make Scots so vibrant.

“We may all be Jock Tamson’s Bairns but we don’t necessarily speak the same words.”

Robin also believes the phrases of The Big Yin are just as important as the verse of The Bard.

Posted in: Scotland, Languages in the press, Scots

Why it’s great Scotland is bucking the trend on learning languages

26 September 2020 (The National)

In a report entitled Breaking the Language Barrier, published by Reform Scotland in October 2018, it is noted that the UK Government estimates poor language skills cost the economy £48 billion annually, equivalent to 3.5% of GDP. While Anglophone countries often dismiss other languages, Scotland is demonstrating an appetite to turn the tide.

The flagship for change is the Scottish Government’s 1+2 policy, launched in 2012, providing children with the opportunity to learn a first additional language from primary one and a second from primary five. Seven years later, the 1+2 generation is now starting secondary school.

There are already encouraging signs at Higher level, where, according to recent research by Dr Hannah Doughty on trends over a seven-year period, languages as a whole enjoy a higher percentage uptake than biology or physics.

Further encouragement comes from Holyrood. Ivan McKee, the Minister for Trade, Investment and Innovation, recently stated that: “It is essential we inspire young people to learn languages, to provide them with the knowledge and skills they need to take full advantage of opportunities in our fast-changing world.”

Crucial here is that McKee mentions “skills”. Languages are not simply about the ability to move between tongues, mechanically expressing information and ideas. Arguably the greatest benefit from the study of languages lies not in their mastery, but in other skills acquired on the journey.

Doric Film Festival set to return

25 September 2020 (Scots Radio)

Plans have been unveiled for the return of the acclaimed Doric Film Festival – with some exciting developments set to be implemented for the second event.

Following the runaway success of the first two Doric Film Festivals, the second annual event is now inviting entries until November 1^st and is asking applications to create a film around the theme: “Jist Faar I Bide.”

This time around, a total of nine awards will be spread equally across three categories, namely individuals, schools and community groups. Each will receive £500 towards the cost of producing a five-minute film which will be screened during an online event in spring 2021.

The much-lauded Doric Film Festival, which is supported by the Scottish Government, took the North East by storm during its inaugural event in 2019. It is the idea of award-winning Scots Radio Director Frieda Morrison who created the unique platform to celebrate the Doric language and its cultural identity.

Commenting on plans for this year’s Doric Film Festival, Frieda Morrison said: “Ongoing restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic have prompted a change of format for this event, and we hope that the changes will encourage even more people to get even more creative in support of the Festival.

“In previous years we have been heartened by the quality and diversity of entries and we are sure that the judges have a hard task ahead of them again this year.”

To find out more, visit www.doricfilmfestival.com or www.scotsradio.com

Our World film making project

17 September 2020 (SEET)

Our World is a languages and citizenship based film making project for S3 - S6 pupils. It's designed to complement the Curriculum for Excellence and help tackle the Attainment Challenge by providing a free project, which uses an interdisciplinary approach to encourage pupils to become more engaged in their language learning.

Apply now to take part in the 2020-21 project.

Visit the SEET Our World webpage for more information.

All the World is Our Stage: Primary Pupils Never Lost in Translanguaging

14 September 2020 (Creative Multilingualism)

This OWRI-funded project celebrates linguistic diversity and reflects on the multilingual, multicultural and superdiverse society represented in Glasgow today. This multilingual performance supports the teaching and learning journey of primary schooling in non-affluent areas of the city. Pupils work together to choose traditional songs and rhymes and script a multilingual play.

Recordings of a webinar series about the project and associated resources are now available on the Creative Multilingualism website. An article about the project can also be found in TECLA Issue 1/2020 (page 11), the magazine resource for Spanish language learning in the classroom.

Oh fit fine! University set to launch its first Doric course

13 September 2020 (The Scotsman)

Doric, a form of North East Scots that is spoken by 49 per cent of people in Aberdeenshire, will now be taught to undergraduates at Aberdeen University with the course counting towards a student’s degree.

The history of Doric is due to be taught on the course, as well as linguistics, vocabulary and its context in a European setting, with many words and phrases linking Doric with Scandinavian languages, said Dr Thomas McKean, director of Aberdeen University’s Elphinstone Institute which researches and protects the North East’s distinct cultural heritage.

He said: “It’s about building a parity of esteem of the language so that it is thought of in equal terms with other European languages."

Posted in: Scotland, Community Languages, Minority Languages, Languages in the press

e-Sgoil Study Support Webinars

11 September 2020 (e-Sgoil)

Young people from across Scotland are participating in a series of live study support webinar lessons being delivered by e-Sgoil.

Building on the success of the e-Sgoil ‘lockdown’ offer - where over 3,000 young people from across the country participated in real-time e-Sgoil lessons from their homes - the package of study support seeks to complement the work being done by schools by providing free, live, interactive webinar lessons in an extensive range of courses at Level 5 (National 5) and Level 6 (Higher).

Twenty courses are currently on offer in the evenings, in a range of subjects including French, Gaelic, Gaidhlig, Mandarin, Spanish, Business Management, Chemistry, Computing Science, Eachdraidh, English, History, Maths, Music, Physics and RMPS.

e-Sgoil Study Support live webinar lessons are scheduled to run for a period of eight weeks in the first instance and employ a ‘flipped’ learning approach, where participants undertake prior learning using supplied resources before attending the real-time 45-minute webinar lesson, hosted in Glow. All e-Sgoil live webinar lessons are delivered by subject specialists and are scheduled after school in the evening.

Angus Mclennan, Head Teacher of e-Sgoil commented:
“e-Sgoil is delighted to offer Senior Phase pupils from across Scotland the opportunity to participate in a wide-range of live webinar lessons that will reinforce school-based learning. Each webinar lesson is a stand-alone learning experience, so new participants are welcome to sign-up to join future sessions”.

Young people can sign-up directly by simply accessing the e-Sgoil Study Support registration form at www.e-sgoil.com

(Pupil Glow login details and Scottish Candidate Number (SCN) are required as part of the registration process).

Posted in: Senior Phase, Chinese, French, Gaelic, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, National Qualifications, News from language & education organisations

Nominations open for Scots Language Awards 2020

11 September 2020 (Scots Language Awards)

Celebrate Scots culture and language with the nation’s favourite icons at the 2020 Scots Language Awards online on Saturday 24 October at 8pm.

Awards will be presented in 11 categories. Visit the website for more information and to submit your nominations.

CLPL on a theme: bitesize and drop-in professional learning each month

4 September 2020 (SCILT)

From September 2020 to March 2021 the SCILT Professional Development Officers are scheduling a series of themed on-demand and live professional learning that will be open to all in-service and student teachers in Scotland.

Some months, the theme will be applicable to both primary and secondary teachers, in other months the theme will be sector specific. 

Around the middle of the month, we will post a film or a piece of reading (c.15 minutes) on the SCILT website. Registration will open for the live drop-in on the same theme.

At the end of the month, the PDO team will host a live drop-in to discuss the bitesize stimulus and the theme in general. The session will last 45 minutes and will feature examples of current practice. Registration is free and open to all teachers and student teachers in Scotland.

Interested?

In September we’re kicking off with a theme that’s relevant to both secondary and primary teachers.

Lessons from lockdown: A look at how our learning and teaching of languages has evolved through the experiences of lockdown. Let’s share our experiences of delivering language education in innovative ways during an unprecedented situation. What works well? What doesn’t? What can we continue to use in post-lockdown practice? Are there methods that actually work better for the “new normal”?

Watch out for the release of our Lessons from lockdown bitesize film. You’ll be able to watch on demand on the SCILT website from Friday 18 September.

At the same time, you will be able to register to join the drop-in session at 4pm on Wednesday 30 September. There will be separate drop-ins on the same theme for primary and for secondary teachers or ITE students.

What’s next? Themes will be revealed in the first e-bulletin of the month, so you’ll get all the latest details straight to your inbox.

If you do join in either live or on-demand, you can keep the professional learning conversation going on social media by following and using the hashtags #SCILT_CLPL #SCILT_bitesize #SCILT_dropin. We are looking forward to connecting with lots of you through this new (to us) approach to professional learning in the coming months.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, All Languages, Scotland, CPD, Language Teaching, Teacher Education, SCILT news

CLPL on a theme: bitesize and drop-in professional learning each month

28 August 2020 (SCILT)

From September 2020 to March 2021 the SCILT Professional Development Officers are scheduling a series of themed on-demand and live professional learning that will be open to all in-service and student teachers in Scotland.

Some months, the theme will be applicable to both primary and secondary teachers, in other months the theme will be sector specific. 

Around the middle of the month, we will post a film or a piece of reading (c.15 minutes) on the SCILT website. Registration will open for the live drop-in on the same theme.

At the end of the month, the PDO team will host a live drop-in to discuss the bitesize stimulus and the theme in general. The session will last 45 minutes and will feature examples of current practice. Registration is free and open to all teachers and student teachers in Scotland.

Sound interesting? Themes will be revealed in the first e-bulletin of the month, so you’ll get all the latest details straight to your inbox. We will be revealing our first theme for September in next week’s e-bulletin.

We are looking forward to connecting with lots of you through this new (to us) approach to professional learning in the coming months.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, All Languages, Scotland, CPD, Language Teaching, Teacher Education, SCILT news

Virtual after school programme

26 August 2020 (LFEE)

LFEE Europe has created a virtual after school programme (VASCO programme) to offer live language sessions in French and Spanish for primary pupils.

For more information, see the attached flyer.

Related Files

LFEE Virtual After School Programme for Languages (61.8 KB)

Posted in: Primary, French, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, Language Learning - Primary, News from language & education organisations

Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival (ESFF) - School Programme October 2020

24 August 2020 (Consejería de Educación)

The Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival is back for its seventh edition and it includes a School Programme aimed at Spanish learning students (6, 7 and 8 October).

Due to COVID-19, the regular format has changed to an Online Event: the film will be available for  48 hours. The way this would work would be through a link sent to teachers, allowing them access to watch the films in class within a set time. In this edition, the School Programme films are ‘Los Futbolísimos’ (P7-S2) and ‘Una vez más’ for (S3-S6).

This programme for Spanish students gives them the opportunity to better their language skills as well as cultural awareness. ESFF has also prepared a set of post-film activities available for students to delve more deeply into films and practice vocabulary.

Tickets £25 per class. For tickets reservations and further information, please contact info.esff@ed.ac.uk

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Promoting Languages, News from language & education organisations

How technology kept Scotland's Gaelic-speaking community connected during lockdown

19 August 2020 (The Herald)

With lockdown cutting us off physically from the communities around us, technology has been a vital tool for keeping connected.

This was particularly true for Scotland’s Gaelic-speaking community, with some pioneering young people using online methods to keep the language alive - and its community of speakers connected.

Calum Ferguson, 25, and Donnie Forbes, 23, decided to team up to combine their passion for Gaelic with a love of football. During lockdown, they created YouTube videos that challenged youngsters to practice football tricks while speaking Gaelic phrases.

“If I film myself passing a ball while saying the phrase ‘pass the ball’ in Gaelic, kids eventually put two and two together and learn the language that way,” explains Donnie. “People are seeing us deliver the action, say the action at the same time- that helps the language click.”

“People learn languages in different ways,” adds Calum. “Some will learn by sitting down and reading a textbook, some by speaking it, but others might find that visual learning is best. What we feel is important is giving as many resources as you can to people, to offer plenty of opportunities to speak the language.”

Heriot-Watt’s search for £9m cuts puts university’s languages department at risk

6 August 2020 (The Times)

A Scottish university is reviewing the future of its entire foreign languages department as it looks at how to cut its wage bill by £9 million over two years.

Heriot-Watt in Edinburgh, widely seen as Scotland’s centre of excellence for translation studies, has commissioned an external review into French, German, Spanish and Chinese classes.

Survey - Resources to support SQA Modern Languages

28 July 2020 (Hodder Gibson)

Publishers, Hodder Gibson, are keen to commission new resources to support Modern Languages departments at National 3-5 and would be grateful to hear directly from teachers to establish what they would find useful.

Please help by taking part in the research survey. It will take about 10 minutes to complete.

Coronavirus: French teacher's Hebridean lockdown

9 June 2020 (BBC)

A French language assistant who remained in the Western Isles during the coronavirus lockdown has been praised for the unique contribution she has made to young people's education.

Mathilde Forgerit arrived in Lewis last August for what was her first experience of teaching French abroad.

During the pandemic she has been able to use the islands' digital learning facilities to deliver classes to young people in other parts of Scotland too.

She said that despite being far from her family, the kindness of islanders stopped her from feeling isolated.

[..] Mathilde returned home to France last week, but the comhairle said she had left behind a positive language learning legacy across island schools.

Senior education officer Mary Clare Ferguson said: "She proved to be such an asset and a natural teacher.

"The pupils loved working with her and gained so much insight from a young person about her life in France, her culture and language. She really motivated them to improve their language skills."

Connecting Classrooms - Learning for sustainability

26 May 2020 (Learning for Sustainability Scotland)

Get funding to collaborate locally and internationally on the big issues that shape our world.

Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning is here to help you bring Learning for Sustainability and the Global Goals to life for your learners! There are a host of learning opportunities and support on offer through the Connecting Classrooms programme. Whether you are looking for personal development opportunities, or want to collaborate with other schools.

Visit the website to find out more. Next funding application deadline is 15 June 2020.

Scotland Learns - Gaelic medium resources

21 May 2020 (Education Scotland)

Education Scotland has created a new portal, Scotland Learns, to help practitioners and parents support children's home learning during school closures.

This week on Scotland Learns the team has added a range of learning activities for parents and carers whose children learn through the medium of Gaelic. Learning activities are also available in English to support parents and carers who may not speak Gaelic.

SCILT's COVID response: Live streamed classes

7 May 2020 (SCILT)

This Monday (4 May) saw the launch of the first week of language classes, courtesy of our partnership with e-Sgoil. Demand was far greater than anticipated and despite some issues with registration, valid email addresses and technical challenges, hundreds of youngsters from P1 to Advanced Higher took part in a range of interesting classes. We have now had to stop taking new registrations for BGE and senior phase classes in French and Spanish and Give it a Go Italian as classes are full. Spaces are still available for NQ classes in Gaelic, German, Italian and Mandarin. For secondary pupils who would like to try something new, there are some places available on "Discovering the Arabic World". This gives the opportunity to learn a language that is less frequently taught in schools and explore the fascinating cultures of Arabic speaking countries. Spaces are limited and are allocated on a first come basis.

See the attached timetable with links to enrol.

Related Files

e-Sgoil National Offering Timetable (1007 KB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, All Languages, Scotland, Language Learning, SCILT news

PGDE: Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (Gaelic medium)

7 May 2020 (Sabhal Mòr Ostaig)

If you already have a degree and are interested in teaching through the medium of Gaelic, this a post-graduate diploma in teaching could be the ideal opportunity for you.

Offered by Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, part of the University of the Highlands and Islands network, the one year distance learning course is available in pathways for primary and secondary education.

Visit the Sabhal Mòr Ostaig website for more information.

Education Scotland News Digest

24 April 2020 (Education Scotland)

Education Scotland's latest news digest is now available to view online. This edition includes resources available to support schools and parents during closures, information about new Gaelic Bookbug stories and the Young Scots Writer of the Year Competition.

Guidance for home learning

20 April 2020 (Scottish Government)

New guidance to support the home learning of children and young people during the new term has been issued.

It aims to build on the significant amount of positive work that has already been undertaken by teachers and education professionals across Scotland to support learning at home, as well as the advice and resources that are already available.

The guidance covers three main areas:

learning and teaching at home: this includes support for digital learning; children who are likely to be disproportionately impacted; and learners with additional support needs
parental involvement and engagement: this includes details of local and national support and how local authorities/schools will require a different approach to being updated on a child’s development
support for teachers and school leaders: including advice on learning resources; supporting pupils’ and staff health and wellbeing; and on leading colleagues and teams during this period

Visit the Scottish Government website for more information.

More Gaelic TV from BBC Alba to help pupils in lockdown

14 April 2020 (The National)

Gaelic broadcasting bosses are to show more children’s content to support young speakers while schools are off.

Extra programmes on science, maths and other curriculum mainstays will be shown on BBC Alba from today.

The Gaelic-medium channel already runs children’s shows from 5pm-7pm every day. Additional content will also be available on the BBC iPlayer.

It is hoped that “children won’t even realise they are learning and developing their skills” when watching the tailored material.

Margaret Mary Murray, head of service at BBC Alba, said: “We hope these fabulous learning programmes will offer useful support to teachers, parents and carers and fun learning opportunities for children.”

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, Gaelic, Scotland, Language Learning, Languages in the press

Coronavirus: ‘Pupils need live online teaching’

13 April 2020 (TESS)

Scotland’s e-Sgoil – based in the Western Isles – has revealed its plans to deliver a national timetable of live lessons that will be streamed online in a bid to support teachers and pupils in the wake of the UK wide school closures, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking exclusively to Tes Scotland the e-Sgoil – which has four years’ experience in beaming lessons into schools across the country – said it was hoping to partner with online learning platform Scholar in order to deliver live national qualification lessons in a wide range of subjects, as well as offering some lessons aimed at primary pupils.

Scholar – a partnership between Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh and education directors’ association Ades – runs online courses in a range of National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher subjects, providing pupils with learning materials and assessments.

Meanwhile e-Sgoil – which was set up to ensure equal access to courses and subjects for pupils irrespective of where they live – has a team of teachers on its books who have experience of delivering remote lessons in real time in everything from Higher physics, to primary Gaelic. This year it has had a presence in 15 of Scotland’s 32 local authorities.

The plan is to start streaming the lessons incrementally, beginning with maths and languages – thanks to Scotland's National Centre for Languages (Scilt), and Confucius Institute for Scotland’s Schools.

Together the languages bodies and e-Sgoil plan to offer taster courses in Spanish, Arabic, Italian, Gaelic and Mandarin suitable for primary and secondary pupils, as well as delivering national qualification courses in French, German, Italian, Mandarin and Gaelic.

SCEN surveys

31 March 2020 (SCEN)

SCEN has drawn up two short surveys, one to gather information ahead of our website revamp, and another to gather information on people's experience with our events and ambassador programme.

Together, they take under ten minutes to fill out, and would be a great help to us in gaining a better understanding how we can improve our engagement and communication.

If you could please complete the surveys from the two links below, and share them with any peers, colleagues, students, or friends you know have an interest in or affiliation with SCEN, it would be much appreciated.

We ask that you please complete the surveys by Monday the 20th of April, so that we can act on the data gathered as soon as possible. Thank you in advance for your participation.

SCEN Website Survey - 3 Minutes to Complete
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/KD7CH37

SCEN Events and Ambassadors Survey - 4 Minutes to Complete
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/KQJCNQD

Online beginner Mandarin classes

30 March 2020 (CISS)

banner advertising upcoming online Mandarin beginner classes

Related Files

E-Sgoil Mandarin - Flyer (197 KB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, Chinese, Scotland, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Technology, CISS news

Mathématiques sans Frontières 2020

26 March 2020 (UWS)

Announcement from Alan Walker, University of the West of Scotland:

Due to the current pandemic, we've had to make a big change to the marking of the entries this year, and unfortunately we won't be able to hold our annual prize-giving. However, the overall winner of the Scottish side of the competition will still be offered a prize, and certificates to all schools who entered will be made available (once I can get back into my office).

With regards to the Top 10 teams of each competition, I'll release these over Twitter, in a countdown over the next couple of weeks. If you (or your school/department) don't already follow the MSF twitter account, please do so at https://twitter.com/MSF_Scotland.

For those of you not on Twitter, I'll email the Top 10s after announcing, and will be in touch with the winners directly.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you all for supporting this competition each year. Thanks also to those who volunteer to mark each year (even though they got a year off this year!). A big thanks too to my colleagues Wan and Ken for their help in putting the questions together for the Scottish side of the competition.

Posted in: Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

The 1+2 Languages Leadership Programme 2020 - CANCELLED

26 March 2020 (SCILT/Education Scotland)

Unfortunately, due to the current uncertainty relating to COVID-19, it has been decided with careful consideration to cancel the Summer School this year.
SCILT and Education Scotland will continue to work closely and plan for next summer 2021. Further updates will be communicated in due course.

SCILT and Education Scotland's flagship national leadership programme has been running since 2014 and was recognised at GTCS Excellence in Professional Learning Awards in 2017 and 2018.

Supporting online learning - links for practitioners

25 March 2020 (Education Scotland)

Education Scotland has compiled resources and links which are intended to support practitioners in developing online opportunities for learning at home. There are resources for all areas of the curriculum which will be supplemented as time goes on. See the Supporting Online Learning webpage on the Education Scotland website.

COVID-19: SCILT and CISS update

24 March 2020 (SCILT/CISS)

Given last week's announcement about the cancellation of the exam diet, the SCILT and CISS teams are refocusing their efforts on supporting the BGE. Officers are currently collating high quality, freely available, online materials into an easily accessible section of the SCILT website. Teachers, parents and youngsters will be able, therefore, to find interesting resources and activities in a range of languages, appropriate to their age and stage, all in one place. As you can imagine, this is a huge task, but we are determined to have it completed by mid-April.

In addition, we are currently in discussion with our friends at e-Sgoil so we can provide live streamed classes in Mandarin suitable for beginners in both primary and secondary school stages of the BGE. More news about this and other language learning opportunities via e-Sgoil will be announced nearer the time.

Follow us on Twitter

Like us on Facebook

Sign up to our e-bulletin

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, All Languages, Scotland, Language Learning, Language Teaching, SCILT news

Young Scots Writer of the Year Competition 2020

16 March 2020 (Education Scotland)

Education Scotland has a fantastic competition for young people aged 11-18 to write a poem, a play, or a song in Scots Language. The competition is run in partnership with Scottish Book Trust, Scottish Government, Scots Hoose and Hands up for Trad.

Visit the competition website for more details and submit entries by Wednesday 24 June 2020.

SQA Markers

12 March 2020 (SQA)

The SQA is currently recruiting for new markers who would like to be considered for a marking team for 2020.

A Marker marks candidates’ work in line with detailed marking instructions and in accordance with SQA policy and procedures. The prime role is to ensure consistent application of national standards when marking candidate submission(s).

Applications which meet the selection criteria will be accepted on a first come first served basis. Thereafter applications will be reserved for future opportunities in marking in your selected subject.

Visit the SQA website for more information and submit your application by 27 March 2020.

Gaelic theatre company Theatre Gu Leor tackle loss of land and language in new show Maim

9 March 2020 (The Scotsman)

One of the great strengths of Gaelic culture in Scotland is that it cares not at all for the traditional distinctions between art forms; in the Gaelic-speaking world, music, song and theatre tend to appear as aspects of the same mighty storytelling tradition.

[..] “Maim is a Gaelic word that means panic, terror, consternation or alarm,” explains Muireann Kelly, after a week of rehearsals at the National Theatre of Scotland’s Glasgow base, “and there’s no doubt that we want this show to confront some huge and frightening issues we all face now. It’s about the continuing decline of native Gaelic language and culture in the islands, despite more people learning the language in the central belt of Scotland; and it’s also about the threat posed to traditional Hebridean and West Highland landscapes by climate change, as the sea rises into the machair.

[..] The only way you can really protect a language and culture is make new things out of it, to make it part of the present and future as well as the past; and that’s what we try to do.

[..] See Maim in Glasgow, Edinburgh and on tour to Inverness, Aberdeen, Oban and across the islands until 28 March.

Vacancy: Professional Development Officer

3 March 2020 (SCILT/CISS)

Scotland’s National Centre for Languages (SCILT) requires a Professional Development Officer to support the network of Scotland’s Confucius classrooms and the learning and teaching of languages across Scotland. This is an exciting opportunity to work at national level and drive forward the strategic languages agenda in Scotland. The successful candidate will be part of the Confucius Institute for Scotland’s Schools team based within SCILT as the Ramshorn building in Glasgow’s city centre. The centre leads 44 Confucius classrooms across Scotland, including secondary, primary and specialist classrooms.

The Professional Development Officer will be responsible for developing and delivering a broad range of support measures to develop the learning and teaching of Mandarin in Scottish schools and communities. This would include, for example, leading professional learning workshops and managing projects such as national awards/competitions and other promotional events.

The post holder will support practitioners to turn policy into practice in order to create a positive impact on learners. This will be based on identification of practitioners’ needs, with particular reference to the place of Mandarin and languages in general, within the National Improvement Framework and the Scottish curriculum. The post holder would, therefore, need extensive experience of leading recent initiatives that promote and support language learning.

Please note, the successful candidate need not be a fluent Mandarin speaker.

Visit the University of Strathclyde's vacancy portal for full details about the post and to apply by 22 March 2020.

Francophone culture teaching and learning materials

2 March 2020 (University of Stirling)

An English and French fourth-year student at the University of Stirling is carrying out research for her final year dissertation on the representation of the francophone cultures in the French language learning materials of S1/S2 and S5/S6 and the role of culture teaching in French language classes. For this investigation, she has prepared an interview for secondary French teachers asking about the French language learning materials they use in class, the way they teach culture and the cultural aspects that they teach.

If you would like to support her research, please complete the questionnaire.

Gaelic CLPL Opportunity - Streap: Postgraduate Certificate in Gaelic Medium Education

24 February 2020 (Sabhal Mòr Ostaig)

The fully funded Postgraduate Certificate in Gaelic Medium Education (Streap) is a Master’s Level qualification of 60 credits at SCQF Level 11.

The programme is aimed at Gaelic speaking GTCS registered teachers (nursery, primary or secondary) who are seeking Gaelic medium education CLPL, or those who are currently in English medium education and who wish to further develop their skills, knowledge and understanding in order to teach in Gaelic medium education.

Visit the website for more information and apply now for September 2020 start.

Skye's the limit at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig - a unique Gaelic-only college set in a stunning island location

24 February 2020 (The Herald)

As global interest in Gaelic grows, students from across the world are travelling to Skye to study at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the National Centre for Gaelic Language and Culture.

Situated in the stunningly beautiful peninsula of Sleat in the south end of the island, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig is a unique Gaelic-only environment and the only college of its kind offering further and higher education through the medium of the language.

The college offers a range of provision from beginners’ courses to a PhD, with the flexibility of studying part-time or full-time, on campus or via distance learning. At a crucial time in the survival of the language, graduates have helped create a Gaelic speaking workforce that now holds key posts across a wide range of sectors in Scotland.

Sabhal Mòr Ostaig is one of the key partners in fulfilling the government’s objectives in the National Gaelic Plan, which aims to increase the number of people speaking the language and accelerate the growth of Gaelic.

Many people are keen to learn more about the language because of its rich culture and the college provides a wide range of short courses in Gaelic language, song and traditional music. Ceilidhs, workshops, conversation circles and music sessions all create an encouraging atmosphere that bring together students from 30 countries across five continents.

Latest News

Scotland

Related Links

Related Links

Japanese taster sessions for senior phase students

Related Links

Certificate of Continued Education (CCEd) in Mandarin

Invite a team of Strathclyde Language Ambassadors to your school!

Virtual Spanish and Latin American Film Festival - University of Stirling / Pragda

Related Links

SQA Advanced Higher Modern Languages: new resources to support with performance-talking

Language Ambassadors Programme - European Day of Languages launch

Workshops for student and early career teachers

Related Links

Goethe-Institut: German for schools

Related Links

Coming soon! CCEd in French @ University of Strathclyde

Scotland China Education Network - Administrative and Communications Officer

Related Files

Calling teachers of Italian in Scotland!

Online team-teaching model - A sustainable approach to support language delivery in the primary

Related Files

Scottish Education Awards 2023 - Gaelic Education

Summer classes and workshops at Alliance Française Glasgow

Espacios Increíbles 2022-23 - Winner announced!

Jacqueline Munro-Lafon Essay Prize 2023 - Winners announced!

Related Links

A Global Citizenship Approach to French - Free new materials for French learners!!

Related Files

Language courses for pupils at Edinburgh College

Related Files

RZSS Programmes for Schools

Related Files

Remembering Empire: Free materials to build global citizenship values and competence in French (S3 and AH)

Research into Scots languages

MTOT 2022-23 - Winners announced!

Related Files

Related Files

Related Files

Related Files

CISS Chinese New Year Poster Competition 2023

Related Files

Concours de la Francophonie 2023

Related Files

Related Files